HOC CLOVER CUI/TUREv. 



-always a sorry looking object. The whey calf fares still worse, 

 because the subject of a greater robbery, but neither of them 

 fares very much worse than the calf, the milk of whose dam 

 is too rich in fats. Nature insists on a balanced ration, and 

 -can not be prevented from taking her revenge on those who 

 violate her laws. When either albuminoids or carbo-hydrates, 

 or in other words, nitrogenous or carbonaceous compounds are 

 .fed in excess of the \vants of the animal, the surplus is wasted. 

 It is worse than wasted, for digestion has meanwhile gone on, 

 and the system having no use for the digested matter beyond 

 its capacity to assimilate, can do nothing else than void it. 

 This is a waste, not merely of the animal food, but of the 

 animal forces. For example, the animal at a certain stage of 

 its existence demands a ration composed ofi of albuminoids to 

 6 of carbo-hydrates, which we express as follows: 1:6, and if 

 fed corn exclusively, having, let us suppose, a ratio of 1:9, or 

 i of albuminoids to 9 of carbo-hydrates; then one-third of the 

 carbo-hydrates is clearly wasted. If, however, to this corn 

 ration be added bran or oil meal in quantities sufficient to 

 make a ratio of i :6, then is the corn fully utilized as is also 

 the added food. 



The western states have a great excess of carbo-hydrates, 

 an excess rendered all the greater by the continuous shipment 

 abroad of wheat and oil meal and livestock, and rendered all 

 the greater locally by the shipment of livestock to the great 

 cities and wheat to the great milling centers. It therefore 

 -stands in need of a fodder rich in albuminoids to balance up 

 the too carbonaceous corn stalks and straw that are left for 

 feed on the farm. It also needs a ration having albuminoids 

 in excess for finishing stock for the feed lot in order to avoid 

 the expense of providing albuminoids in the form of bran and 

 oil meal. To meet the first want the clovers furnish an am- 

 ple supply if properly handled. The second want which is 

 supplied in other countries by peas, beans and turnips, will 

 -doubtless be met in time, by some legume adapted to the cli- 

 mate and soil, possibly the soy bean. Great as is the value 

 of the clovers in supplying .nitrogen to the soil, they are 

 scarcely less valuable as a source of albuminoids with which 

 to balance up our excessively carbonaceous foods. In order 

 that the reader may see the value of the clovers for this pur- 

 pose, we give the following tables, showing the amount of 

 dry organic matter and also of digestible albuminoids, carbo- 

 hydrates and fat that are required by different animals and 01 

 the same animal in different stages of its growth, and when 

 fed for different purposes: 



