1891.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 33. 113 



IV. Fodder Analyses. (1890.) 



The majority of the analyses stated under the above 

 heading are made of fodder articles which have been used 

 either during the past year in connection with some of our 

 feeding experiments, or have been raised upon the grounds 

 of the station. Some articles sent on by outside parties 

 are added, on account of the special interest they may 

 present to others. 



In presenting these analyses, it seems but proper to call 

 the attention of farmers once more forcibly to a careful 

 consideration of the following facts. 



The composition of the various articles of food used in 

 farm practice exerts a decided influence on the manurial 

 value of the animal excretions, resulting from their use in 

 the diet of different kinds of farm live stock. The more 

 potash, phosphoric acid, and, in particular, nitrogen, a 

 fodder contains, the more valuable will be, under otherwise 

 corresponding circumstances, the manurial residue left be- 

 hind after it has served its purpose as a constituent of the 

 food consumed. 



As the financial success in a mixed farm management 

 depends, in a considerable degree, on the amount, the 

 character and the cost of the manurial refuse material 

 secured in connection with the special farm industry carried 

 on, it needs no further argument to prove that the relations 

 which exist between the composition of the fodder and the 

 value of the manure resulting deserve the careful considera- 

 tion of the farmer, when devising an efficient and at the same 

 time an economical diet for his live stock. 



The higher or lower commercial value of the manurial 

 refuse left behind after the feed has accomplished its pur- 

 pose in a satisfactory degree, decides its actual or net cost 

 in farm industry. A disregard of this circumstance renders, 

 in many instances, a remunerative dairying not less doubt- 

 ful than a profitable feeding of live stock for the meat 

 market . 



