164 THE CHEMISTBY OF THE FARM 



In the first column of the preceding table the whole 

 of the nitrogen in the food is reckoned as existing as 

 albuminoids. This supposition, though erroneous, is 

 the one most usually made in calculating the albuminoid 

 ratio. In the second column the true albuminoids only 

 are taken account of, and the amides have been 

 reckoned among the non-albuminous constituents at 

 their proper heat value. We shall employ these latter 

 ratios in the present work. 



These figures show in a striking manner the wide 

 differences that exist amongst foods as to the proportion 

 of albuminoids which they supply. The oilcakes and 

 leguminous seeds are seen to be rich in albuminoids; 

 and roots and straw very poor, while cereal grains and 

 their products occupy a middle place. The differences 

 are far greater than was formerly supposed, when it 

 was customary to assume that the whole of the 

 nitrogen of food was albuminoid. The poverty of a 

 diet of roots and straw chaff in digestible albuminoids 

 is one reason of the excellent effects produced by the 

 addition of oilcake or leguminous corn. Oilcake, 

 peas, and beans used under these circumstances have 

 an effect far above their own intrinsic feeding value, as 

 their presence raises the character of the whole diet, 

 and enables the carbohydrates of the roots and straw 

 to contribute to the formation of carcase. If, on the 

 other hand, an animal is at pasture, or fed with good 

 hay, and is thus receiving a sufficiency of albuminoids, 

 the use of oil-cake or beans may be without especial 

 advantage to the animal, and they may be economically 

 replaced by some cereal grain. 



It should be recollected that the albuminoid ratio of 

 a food may be different for different animals if their 



