178 FEEDING FARM ANIMALS 



nutritive ratio of the same may be easily computed. Take 

 clover hay for instance, in the table on page 175, the total 

 digestible nitrogenous substance given in this food is 

 0.07688 per cent, the total digestible carbohydrates other 

 than fibre as 0.23322 per cent, crude fibre as 0.1073 1 per cent 

 and fat as 0.02790 per cent. When the fat is multiplied by 

 2j4 and added to the carbohydrates the sum of these is 

 0.40330 per cent. When this is divided by 0.07688, the total 

 digestible protein, the quotient is 5.2. Therefore, the nu- 

 tritive ratio in clover hay is 1 15.2. When more than one 

 food is combined in the ration, the digestible nitrogenous 

 constituents of each must of course be taken together and 

 also all the digestible non-nitrogenous constituents when 

 ascertaining the nutritive ratio. 



Nutritive ratios are regarded as wide and narrow in 

 proportion to relative amounts of the digestible nitrogenous 

 and non-nitrogenous nutrients which they contain. One 

 comparatively rich in nitrogenous substance is spoken of as 

 narrow, and in non-nitrogenous substance as wide. For in- 

 stance, skim milk has a nutritive ratio of 1 11.63 and man- 

 gels of i :9.2. The former represents an unusually narrow 

 ratio and the latter a more than ordinarily wide one. 

 Whether the ratio should be wide, narrow or intermediate 

 to effect a given end is shown in the table of feeding stand- 

 ards on page 184. 



The great value of the nutritive ratio to the practical 

 feeder lies in the fact that it enables him to understand the 

 value of the food stuffs which he may have on hand to ef- 

 fect a given end. The nutritive ratio in itself would not tell 

 him this, but when taken in conjunction with the facts 

 given in correct feeding standards it does, as is shown on 

 page 182. Similarly it serves as a guide to him in com- 

 pounding food stuffs for feeding, that is, in determining the 

 approximate proportions in which they shall be fed. 



Table II, given below, states in pounds the dry matter, 

 the digestible food ingredients and the fuel value contained 

 in 100 pounds of the feeding stuff submitted. The fuel 



