GENERAL FEEDING 465 



than through purchasing the fertilizer directly. Where 

 the soil is low in fertility, this may frequently answer the 

 purpose much better than the application of commercial 

 fertilizers, since the manure resulting will act as a -mulch 

 and also as a fertilizer when spread on the surface, and 

 when buried it will furnish the soil with .humus and also 

 with fertility. Commercial fertilizer only enriches the soil. 

 It does not act as a mulch nor does it supply humus. One 

 of the best methods of enriching soil thus is by feeding 

 to sheep on pasture some supplemental grain product, rich 

 in fertilizing elements (see p. 398). The pasture may be 

 composed of grass, clover or other plants sown for the 

 purpose. 



Relative food values. It has been stated elsewhere 

 that the aim should be to grow the foods fed upon the 

 farm to the greatest extent possible upon the same. (See 

 p. 463.) But it frequently happens that foods need to be 

 purchased to make it possible to feed them in balance. It is 

 also necesary in some instances to purchase them to make 

 production profitable in the highest degree, because of the 

 limitations in the variety of the foods grown in the locality. 

 In such instances a due regard should be had, first, to the 

 relative values of foods, and second, to their relative suit- 

 ability for the end sought. In yet other instances, because 

 of a difference in the relative values of foods, it may be 

 profitable to sell grains grown upon the farm and purchase 

 other products to feed in lieu of those sold. 



A due regard must be had to the relative values of 

 foods. These vary with the seasons. In one instance, bar- 

 ley may be low in price and corn relatively high. In an- 

 other, the opposite may be true. This may be brought 

 about by some peculiarity in the weather during the period 

 of growth. One season is may be more profitable to pur- 

 chase corn, another season, barley, and yet again rye. In 

 some instances, oil cake may be freely purchased and fed 

 with profit, and yet again the cost of this food may put it 

 out of the reach of the feeder. The same is true of other 



