1890.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 4. 229 



ration with a wider nutritive ratio, it \^dll be found easy, by 

 diminishing slightly the proportion of gluten meal, which is 

 very rich in protcine, and increasing the corn meal, to secure 

 the desired result. If foods be combined in this manner, 

 with proper attention to proportions and amounts of the 

 nutrients, it is tolerably certain that with healthy animals 

 there will be no waste. The ration is balanced, and the 

 most perfect economy will be secured ; just as it is when we 

 feed our plants with nitrogen, potash and phosphoric acid, 

 in proper proportions and amounts. 



Now, the same proportions and amounts of the nutrients 

 may be secured by the use of other feeds than those I have 

 mentioned in my example. We might introduce bran, rye, 

 barley or oat meal, cotton-seed meal, etc. We may secure 

 the proper amounts of nutrients by many different combina- 

 tions, just as we can supply the proper amounts of nitrogen, 

 etc., to plants in many different fertilizers or manures ; and 

 just here lies the superioi'ity of a feeding standard over an 

 empirical rule. In these winter evenings you can work out 

 amounts and proportions of feeds, as your circumstances or 

 markets make advisal^lc. 



These German standards are the result of very many 

 experiments, and he who shall follow them intelligently 

 cannot go far wrong ; hence I have used them for illustration. 

 But I must now call your attention to the fact that the 

 results of Dr. Goessmann's experiments in feeding pigs at the 

 State Station indicate that, with American feeding-stuffs and 

 prices, it pays better to feed pigs a ration somewhat richer 

 in nitrogen; i.e., with a narrower nutritive ratio than the 

 Gennans advise. 



For the purpose of still further illustrating my subject, 

 I shall now call your attention to the results of one of Dr. 

 Goessmann's experiments in feeding pigs. This experiment 

 is described in the sixth annual report of the State Experi- 

 ment Station. It is Experiment IX. of that report. In this 

 experiment six pigs, weighing from 17 to 22 pounds, were 

 taken. The experiment continued from April 12 to August 

 8, and the animals weighed alive 185 to 203.5 pounds each 

 at its close. The feeds used were skim-milk, corn meal, 

 gluten meal and wheat bran. The experiment was divided 



