CHEMISTRY OF FOODS AND FEEDING. 1185 



of albuminoids and seven pounds of carbohydrates. More than 

 this, as the pig's capacity of food is limited, he will be prevented 

 in the second case from taking the amount of available nutri- 

 ment essential to the most profitable results. 



On the other hand, if the pig is given a diet of two pounds 

 of albuminoids to six pounds carbohydrates he will get no 

 more benefit than from one pound albuminoids and seven pounds 

 carbohydrates. We see from this that up to the point when 

 the correct albuminoid ratio is reached the value of the 

 food is in direct proportion to the amount of albuminoids it 

 contains, but after this point is attained there is no special gain 

 in an increase in the proportion of albuminoids. Inasmuch as 

 nitrogenous material in food is generally more expensive than 

 the other constituents it is desirable, in order to secure the 

 greatest profit in feeding to know what is the correct ratio, and 

 secure food that comes as near to this as possible, in order to 

 avoid waste on the one hand, or the use of unduly expensive 

 food on the other. 



Ratio for Young Animals. The object in feeding these 

 is to secure growth, development of bone and muscle, rather 

 than fat. The food, therefore, should be rich in albuminoids, 

 and experiments have shown that while the animal is making 

 its growth the correct ratio for the entire food is about 1 : 5, 

 calculating all the nitrogenous matter in the food as albu- 

 minoids. Oats, clover, bran, and young grass are eminently 

 fitted for the use of the young animal. When hay, straw, or 

 other foods, in which the ratio is considerably below this have 

 to be used as a portion of the diet it will often be profitable to 

 use in connection with it some food rich in albuminoids, such 

 as linseed cake. 



The young animal must, however, have an abundant supply 

 of food for the maintenance of animal heat and supply of energy ; 

 and to obtain this wholly from coarse food such, as straw or poor 

 hay, would require the consumption of too large a bulk of food. 

 Fat supplies this kind of material in its most concentrated form, 

 and therefore foods containing, in connection with a good supply of 

 albuminoids, plenty of fat, are well adapted for the young animal. 



