296 ELEMENTS OF AGRICULTURE 



This ration corresponds very closely to the standard, 

 and, while the purchase of the cottonseed meal will add 

 somewhat to the expense, still it is the experience of care- 

 ful feeders that the increased production will pay. 



The same result may be obtained by using other feed- 

 ing stuffs having a narrow nutritive ratio. The question 

 is likely to be raised, which of the various feeding-stuffs 

 offered in the market may be used most economically 

 in supplementing the home-grown foods to produce a 

 balanced ration? This question is best answered by for- 

 mulating properly balanced rations containing each of the 

 foods under consideration; and, by assigning the actual 

 market value per pound to each of the constituents of 

 the ration, its cost is readily ascertanied and the cheapest 

 may be selected. 



276. Another Method of Computing Rations. The 

 total amounts of nutrients required are sometimes used 

 instead of the above method. Cows require about 24 

 pounds of dry matter per day per 1,000 pounds of live 

 weight. At least 16 pounds of this should be digestible, 

 and 2 to 2.5 pounds should be digestible protein. This 

 is an easier method of calculating but gives practically 

 the same results. It will be seen that only the last one 

 of the three calculated rations in the preceding section 

 meets this standard. 



277. Cautions in Using Balanced Rations. The nutritive 

 ratio may vary somewhat from the standard without 

 serious results. Cows have produced good results on feeds 

 with a ratio as wide as 1 : 8, but most successful dairy- 

 men use a ration with more protein. 1 One pound of pro- 



1 Virg'nia Bulletin Xo. 169. 



