434 PRINCIPLES OF AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY 



sequently increases. Growing animals are injured by too little 

 water, or by receiving it at irregular intervals. When water is 

 placed freely at the disposal of the animal, an excessive 

 consumption is not to be feared, unless caused by very watery 

 food or too much salt. The amount of water taken up on an 

 average for one pound dry matter is as follows : 



Pounds 



Swine 7 to 8 



Cows 4 to 6 



Oxen 2 to 3 



Horses 2 to 3 



Sheep 2 to 3 



The quantity of water consumed varies with the temperature, as in 

 warm weather more is required to replace that lost in perspiration. 



Aromatic Bodies. These are the bodies which give an agree- 

 able taste and odor to feeding-stuffs. They have no effect upon 

 digestion, and, on account of their small quantity, little on pro- 

 duction. Their chief effect is upon the nervous system. They 

 awaken the appetite, and increase the activity of the secreting 

 organs of the mouth and stomach. Special additions of aromatics 

 are not necessary when good hay, sound grain, by-products of 

 milling, oil cakes, or even good stray or chaff is fed, for these 

 contain in themselves sufficient appetizers. 



Rations from Eestricted Sources. Experiments at the Wiscon- 

 sin Experiment Station, 1 covering a period of four years, show 

 that animals fed rations properly balanced, from different plant 

 sources, were not alike in general vigor, size, and strength of off- 

 spring, and capacity for milk secretion. Animals fed from the 

 products of the wheat plant exclusively were deficient in vigor ; 

 those fed from the corn plant were strong and vigorous ; those fed 

 from the oat plant were not as vigorous as those fed the corn 

 plant ; while those fed a mixed ration were intermediate between 

 the wheat and oat rations in vigor. The significance of these in- 

 vestigations is not yet apparent. 

 1 Research Bulletin No. 17. 



