THE COST OF THE RATION 113 



Feeding Stuffs Vary in Price. The wise feeder 

 watches the market prices of the various feeds. To 

 a certain extent the law of supply and demand fixes 

 the prices for most feeds. When the corn crop is 

 large the price drops, and even influences the value 

 of other feeds, although there may be a short crop 

 of each. Yet from year to year farm grains, hays, 

 and commercial feed crops fluctuate within certain 

 limits from month to month and from year to year. 

 By taking cognizance of this fact and by studying 

 the market values of available and desirable feed- 

 ing stuffs in relation to their digestible ingredients, 

 substitutions can be made, often at a great saving 

 and frequently with even more favorable results 

 than through the use of the more familiar feeds. 

 See that the combination gives a balanced ration, 

 and then seek good feeds that will continue the bal- 

 ance, selecting those that will most cheaply do it. 

 In this way a handsome profit may often be secured 

 in addition to greater efficiency. 



Easy to Swap Feeds. Since transportation is 

 now so easy, an exchange of one class for another 

 is easily made, furnishing no reason why each sec- 

 tion should not have such nutrients as it needs to 

 balance properly its standard feeding rations. The 

 farmer who has an abundance of timothy and corn, 

 which he is now feeding his farm stock, can well 

 afford to dispose of a part of one or both and expend 

 the entire receipts for some good substitute of equal 

 or greater efficiency. By so doing he need not in- 

 crease his outlay at all ; but he will supply his ani- 

 mals with a more satisfactory ration. 



