those who do not desire to do what is honorable, the station raises 

 a warning finger ! ! ! ! 



WHY IS ONLY A PROTEIN AND FAT GUARANTEE 

 REQUIRED ? 



Since many concentrates contain a considerable quantity of fiber, 

 and nearly all a large quantity of extract (starchy) matter, the ques- 

 tion is often asked why these should not also be included in the 

 guarantee. Protein is guaranteed because it is the most necessary 

 and cost/y article for the farmer to purchase. A fat guarantee is 

 required, firstly, because it furnishes 2.2 times as much energy as 

 starch, and secondly, because an excess (above 7-10 per cent) is 

 objectionable, tending not only to interfere with the processes of 

 digestion and normal milk secretion, but also to produce a prema- 

 ture rancidity of the feed. The percentages of protein and fat serue 

 as an index of the composition of the feed. By comparing the 

 percentages found with the feed standards, published on page 6 

 one can readily see whether the feed is of average composition. 



There is a tendency to adulterate many feeds with finely ground 

 oat hulls and corn cobs, substances containing a very high percent- 

 age of fiber. Now fiber is not as valuable a nutrient as the extract 

 or starchy matter, and an excess in concentrates is not desirable. 

 S. guarantee of fiber in addition to protein and fat would prove help- 

 ful by showing at once whether such adulteration had actually taken 

 place. 



The extract or starchy matter''^ while a valuable nutrient is largely 

 produced upon the farm in the form of hay, corn and other cereals, 

 and the farmer does not need, as a rule, to purchase large quantities 

 of it ; hence it was not included in the guarantee. When laws regu- 

 lating the sale of concentrated feeds were first made, many manufact- 

 urers, dealers and farmers were unacquainted with the chemical 

 terms employed, and the use of too many would have naturally led 

 to misunderstanding and confusion. It was thought that a guarantee 

 of protein and of fat would reveal the character of the feed sufficiently 

 to enable the consumer to purchase intelligently. 



*Add the percentage of protein and fat, plus 14 per cent for water and ash, substract the 

 sum from loo and the remainder will be a reasonably close approximation of the percentage 

 of fiber and extract matter (carbohydrates) contained in the feed. 



