EXPERIMENT STATION. 563 



chemist, also, the result of careful feeding experiments, as 

 far as the various fodder articles have proved digestible, and 

 were thus qualified for the support of the life and the func- 

 tions of the particular kind of animal on trial. In stating 

 the amount of the digestible portion of the fodder consumed 

 in a feeding experiment, it has proved useful, for comparing 

 different fodder rations, etc., to make known by a distinct 

 record the relative proportion which has been noticed to 

 exist between the amount of its digestible nitro2renous and 

 non-nitrogenous organic constituents. This relation is ex- 

 pressed by the name of " Nutritive Ratio." An examination 

 of the subsequent short description of our feeding experi- 

 ments will show, for instance, that the corn meal fed con- 

 tained one part of digestible nitrogenous to 8.76 parts of 

 digestible non-nitrogenous organic matter, making the cus- 

 tomary allowance for the higher physiological value of the 

 fat as compared with that of starch, sugar, etc. (2.5 times 

 higher). The "Nutritive Ratios" of the articles of feed 

 consumed are subsequently stated, as follows : — 



Com meal, . 

 Wheat bran. 

 Gluten meal, 

 Rye middlings, . 



The results of our own analyses of these fodder articles 

 are here turned to account for the calculation of the above 

 stated " Nutritive Ratios." 



It has been noticed that, as a general rule, growing ani- 

 mals and milch cows require a richer food, i. e., a closer 

 relation of digestible nitrogenous and non-nitrogenous 

 organic constituents in their feed, to do their best, than full- 

 grown animals and moderately worked horses or oxen. 

 German investigators recommend a combination of fodder 

 articles, in other respects suitable, which contains one part 

 of digestible nitrogenous organic constituents to 5.4 parts of 

 digestible non-nitrogenous constituents. 



From the description of our earlier feeding experiments 

 with milch cows (see Fourth Annual Report, page II), it 

 may be observed, that the relations of the digestible nitroge- 

 nous and non-nitroorenous organic constituents in the different 

 combinations of fodder articles which constituted, during the 



