140 AGRICULTURE. 



protein of the food would not be sufficient to 

 maintain the tissues of the body. Neither is 

 there given an extremely narrow ratio, for that 

 would necessitate the consumption of protein 

 for the production of heat and energy. When 

 a food containing a medium nutritive ratio is fed 

 there are sufficient carbohydrates to supply the 

 heat and energy, and protein enough to main- 

 tain the body, and either to build up additional 

 tissues in growth or flesh, or to be used in the 

 production of milk. 



5. Compounding Rations. — It is not often that 

 any one kind of food will supply the desired 

 ratio of nutrients, so it is necessary to combine 

 several kinds in such proportions as to give that 

 ratio in the combined food. For example, if 

 timothy hay (the nutritive ratio of which is 

 1:16.7) forms the rough food, a balanced ration 

 can only be obtained by combining with it some 

 highly concentrated food — as, cottonseed-meal, 

 whose nutritive ratio is 1:1.2; while if hay 

 from clover, cow-peas, or alfalfa, is used, corn 

 and oats will be sufficient, if used in proper pro- 

 portions, to form a balanced ration. 



Exercise 7. — Finding, or estimating, a ration for i.ooo 

 pounds of live weight according to the standard in tlie 

 table. 



Problem : To determine the ration for ahorse weigh- 

 ing \f>oo pounds and doing light work. According to 

 the table, the following standard is required: dry mat- 



