142 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jim. 



2. Economical Feedinr/ of Farm Live Stock. 



The adoption of an economical system of feeding farm live 

 stock in the case of a mixed farm management is only 

 second in importance, as far as financial success is concerned, 

 to the renmnerative production of the leadmg farm crops. 

 The benetits derived from a successful management of the 

 latter are not unfrequently largely offset by a mismanage- 

 ment of the former. Comparatively recent investigations, 

 regarding the principles which control success in feeding 

 farm live stock for various purposes, have greatly improved 

 our chances for profit. Although much needs still to be 

 learned in regard to many details, it is quite generally con- 

 ceded that some important facts, l)earing on the economical 

 side of the question, have been fairly established. 



The introduction of the chemical analysis of fodder articles 

 has made us more familiar with their general character. The 

 influences which affect their composition are also better 

 known. A fair knowledge in l)oth directions is to-day 

 considered indispensal)le for a due appreciation of the results 

 obtained in feeding experiments. The latter, carried on 

 under better-defined circumstances, have demonstrated the 

 important fact that three distinctly different groups of s\xh- 

 stances are required for the support of the life of animals. 

 These groups are : nitrogen-containing organic substances, 

 commonly called nitrogenous organic matter ; non-nitrog- 

 enous organic matter, like sugar, starch, fat, etc. ; and 

 certain saline or mineral substances. Neither one nor two 

 of these groups by themselves can for any length of time 

 sustain animal life ; nor can any excess of one or the other, 

 contained in the diet used, benefit the animal. The excess, 

 as a rule, is ejected, and can only, if at all, benefit the 

 manure. We know, also, that all our farm plants contain 

 more or less of each of the three essential groups of food 

 constituents. As no single plant or part of plant has proved 

 to any extent to furnish the most nutritious and at the same 

 time the most economical diet for any particular class of 

 animals, it becomes advisable to supplement them with 

 other suitable articles, to secure their full benefit. An 

 economical system of stock feeding has, therefore, to strive 



