REASONS FOR ANIMAL HUSBANDRY 



slopes, soil too stony to cultivate, fields 

 traversed by winding streams, and land par- 

 tially covered with trees, are familiar exam- 

 ples. As previously mentioned, only about 

 one-half the farm area in this country is 

 improved land, and only two-thirds, even of 

 the improved land, is in cultivated crops. 

 The other third of the improved land and 

 a considerable portion of that half of the 

 farm area known as unimproved land are 

 utilized as pasture for domestic animals. 



(2) They make use of farm crops which 

 would be entirely or partially wasted. 

 Straw, the stalks of maize, clover and 

 alfalfa hay and other leguminous forage 

 crops would not have sufficient value to pay 

 for raising if animals were not kept to con- 

 vert them into useful products. In fact, the 

 usefulness of a given animal may be judged 

 by the economy with which he converts 

 these otherwise useless products into food or 

 other materials for the use of man. The 

 most profound studies are being made to 

 determine the conditions under which this 

 takes place. 



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