94 FARM MANAGEMENT 



Hay, and particularly clover hay, has an 

 albuminoid ratio that is nearly right, so that 

 highly nitrogenous foods are not necessary. 

 Hay is slightly below the standard, and so the 

 compound cakes, or mixtures of them with oats, 

 bran, etc., or cotton cake mixed with maize 

 and barley, are best. If straw or roots are 

 added to the hay, then more nitrogenous pur- 

 chased foods will have to be added to balance 

 the excess of carbo-hydrates. Clover hay, 

 having a higher albuminoid ratio than meadow 

 hay, requires less nitrogenous food added to it, 

 and so roots, maize, barley, sharps and bran 

 are used. 



Of course, in calculating out rations on the 

 above lines, it must not be thought that a fine 

 degree of accuracy is necessary, as if the 

 albuminoid ratio of the rations proposed is 

 approximately right it will suffice. Further- 

 more, the question of digestibility arises. A 

 food may be rich in the required constituents 

 but, at the same time, be not very digestible, 

 and this lessens its value considerably. The 

 carbo-hydrates of roots are very easily digested, 

 but straw and hay not quite so well, and there- 

 fore are not as well suited to young stock, for 



