420 



BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



[Jan. 



nent constituents of plants bear to the support of anima] 

 life have rendered it advisable to classify them, in this 

 connection, into three groups, — mineral constituents, and 

 nitrogenous and non-nitrogenous organic constituents. For 

 details regarding this matter, I have to refer to previous pub- 

 lications of the Station. (See Fourth Annual Report, pages 

 31-37.) 



Numerous and extensive practical feeding experiments 

 with most of our prominent fodder articles in various 

 conditions, and with all kinds of farm live stock, have 

 introduced the practice of reporting, in connection with the 

 analysis of the chemist, also the result of careful feed- 

 ing experiments as far as the various fodder articles have 

 proved digestible, and were thus qualified for the support of 

 the life and the functions 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 proportions which has 

 been noticed to exist between the amount of its digestible, 

 nitrogenous and non-nitrogenous organic constituents. 

 This relation is expressed by the name of " nutritive ratio." 

 An examination of the description of our feeding experi- 

 ments will show, for instance, that the corn meal fed (1888) 

 contained one part of digestible nitrogenous to 9.66 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 

 'in 1888 are subsequently stated as follows : — 



English hay, . . . 1:10.52 



Dry corn fodder, . . 1 : 10.31 



Stover 1: 9.3 



Corn ensilage, . . 1 : 8.8 



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 



