THE YOUNG ANIMAL 171 



proportion of albuminoids, and a much larger propor- 

 tion of sugar. 



The solid matter of milk has a very high feeding 

 value, owing to the large proportion of fat and 

 albuminoids present, and its almost perfect digesti- 

 bility. If we take the heat-producing value of dry 

 digestible starch as 100, then the heat-producing 

 capacity of dry cow's milk will be about 133. Milk 

 also supplies the ash constituents necessary for the 

 formation of bone and tissue ; 100 lbs. of cow's milk 

 will supply about 0*20 lb. of phosphoric acid, 0*17 lb. of 

 lime, and 0'17 lb. of potash. 



The proportion of the nitrogenous to the non-nitro- 

 genous constituents in milk is much higher than in 

 most vegetable foods. The analyses in the table show 

 a relation varying from 1 : 2'2 to 1 : 3'9 in the milk 

 of farm animals, and in colostrum the proportion of 

 albuminoids is still higher. In supplying very young 

 animals with artificial food the above facts must be 

 borne in mind. The food should clearly be of an easily 

 digestible character, and contain a considerable pro- 

 portion of albuminoids and fat. Instead of this, foods 

 rich in starch are too often employed. Linseed is, of 

 ordinary foods, the one most similar to milk in com- 

 position. When calves are fed on separated milk, the 

 addition of cod-liver oil has been found very beneficial. 



A young animal makes a very economical use of the 

 milk which it receives. At Wisconsin, young lambs 

 fed with cows* milk doubled in weight in twenty -five 

 days, gaining 1 lb. for 5*8 lbs. of milk consumed. If 

 the milk contained 13 per cent, of dry matter, f lb. of 

 dry matter produced 1 lb. of increase. A young calf 

 can store up as flesh 69 per cent, of the albuminoids in 



