SELECTION AND CARE OF LIVE-STOCK. 



89 



phosphate, with a little calcium carbonate and oth- 

 er mineral substances derived from plants. While 

 plants contain everything necessary for animal 

 growth, some portions are richer in salts and nitrog- 

 enous material, and are therefore considered to be 

 of more value, as the grain of wheat, corn, and oats. 

 Foods differ greatly in value, as every farmer knows. 

 Many experiments have been made to determine the 

 feeding power of various kinds of food, and elabo- 

 rate tables have been drawn up to express their com- 

 parative value. Every farmer practically constructs 

 such a table for himself, at least, he sets a different 

 value on different substances, and buys and sells 

 accordingly. 



200. In the following table, common hay is taken 

 as the standard, and the numbers opposite each sub- 

 stance show how many pounds of each contain 

 nourishment equivalent to ten pounds of hay : 



Ibs. Ibs. 



Common hay ..... 10 



Clover hay 8 to 10 



Green clover 45 to 50 



Turnips 50 



Cabbage 20 to 30 



Peas and beans ... 3 to 5 



Wheat-straw 40 to 50 i Wheat 5 to 6 



Oat-straw 20 to 40 j Oats 4 to 7 



Pea-straw 10 to 15 



Potatoes . . 20 



Corn 5 



Oil-cake (linseed).. 2 to 4 



Of course, such tables represent only general 

 results. Much depends on the quality of the food, 

 the form in which it is given, the condition of the 

 animal to which it is fed, and other circumstances 

 which the intelligent farmer understands. 



