92 FEEDS AND FEEDING 



present but one side of a most complicated economic question, as they 

 show merely the relative efficiency with which the various animals and 

 the various food crops utilize land in the production of human food. 



In this connection the fact that the colored laborers in the cotton fields 

 of the south live largely on corn meal and pork products is of interest. 

 By the force of circumstances they have been driven in their struggle for 

 existence to exist mainly on the crop producing the largest amount of 

 human food per acre Indian corn, the king of the cereals and for the 

 sake of variety in their food and an additional supply of protein, the 

 most efficient meat-producing animal of the farm. Undoubtedly, better 

 nutrition and an even more economical diet would result if they made 

 much more use of milk. 



132. Returns from feed. According to Jordan 35 the different farm 

 animals produce from 100 Ibs. of digestible matter in feed approxi- 

 mately the amounts of marketable product and of edible dry matter 

 shown in the table. 



Human food produced by farm animals from 100 Ibs. of digestible matter 



consumed 



Animal Marketable Edible Animal Marketable Edible 



product solids product solids 



Lbs. Lbs. Lbs. Lbs. 



Cow (milk) 139.0 18.0 Poultry (eggs) 19.6 5.1 



Pig (dressed) 25.0 15.6 Poultry (dressed) .... 15.6 4.2 



Cow (cheese) 14 . 8 9.4 Lamb (dressed) 9.6 3.2 



Calf (dressed) 36.5 8.1 Steer (dressed) 8.3 2.8 



Cow (butter) 6.4 5.4 Sheep (dressed) 7.0 2.6 



The table shows that the cow leads all classes of stock in the economy 

 with which she converts feed into human food, producing 139 Ibs. of milk, 

 containing 18 Ibs. of dry matter, from 100 Ibs. of digestible matter in 

 her feed. The pig closely rivals the cow, for it returns from 100 Ibs. 

 of digestible matter in its feed, 25 Ibs. dressed carcass, containing 15.6 

 Ibs. edible dry matter. The steer and sheep yield less than 10 Ibs. of 

 dressed carcass, nearly half of which ?s water. Deducting this and also 

 the bone and gristle, there remain only 2.6 to 3.2 Ibs. of water-free 

 edible meat produced per 100 Ibs. oi digestible matter in the feed. Data 

 presented in a later chapter (710) show that where steers are raised on 

 an economical ration and marketed before being fattened to an excessive 

 degree, a considerably larger return than this is secured. In these 

 recent trials steers thus fed have produced 6.0 Ibs. edible solids in their 

 carcass from 100 Ibs. total digestible nutrients in their feed. 



133. Feeding pigs corn only. At several experiment stations trials have 

 been carried on to determine the effect on the growth of animals and 

 upon the composition of their bodies of feeding unbalanced rations, 

 which did not furnish an ample supply of protein or mineral matter. 

 These investigations are of much practical importance as they demon- 



Feeding of Animals, 1917, p. 423. 



