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average in the potato is 75 per cent, of water, 20 per 

 cent, of carbo-hydrates, 2'2 per cent, albuminoids, 

 and fats '03. Casually observed, a ton of potatoes 

 contains nearly three times as much starchy matter,, 

 and nearly twice as much albuminoid; consequently 

 the analytical feeding value of the potato is far more 

 than twice as great as that of the swede. In actual 

 practice, however, the analytical value of green fodder 

 crops is not the only factor to be considered. The 

 bulk of material is of great importance. Roots like 

 straw and hay have a special value, as an animal 

 fed on highly concentrated food containing all the 

 necessary constituents analytically, will starve, not 

 because of insufficiency of nourishment in the food, 

 but because the animal cannot digest the food. 

 Digestion cannot proceed properly unless the stomach 

 is well distended, and bulky foods of low feeding value 

 are most suitable for this purpose. A farmer cannot 

 feed his stock entirely from the granary, but he has to 

 go to his pastures for hay, and to his arable land for 

 roots. Roots or potatoes are most valuable on those 

 occasions when the stock of bulky food is short. At 

 these times a ton of potatoes, containing more feeding 

 value than two tons of swedes, is of less value than 

 the swedes. The water contained in green crops is 

 analytically exactly the same as pure water from any 

 other source, but in some unexplained way it acts more 

 beneficially on an animal. Take, for instance, a rich 

 pasture on which cattle fatten in summer without any 

 outside assistance, then try to feed animals on the 



