CHAPTER x. 



A FEEDERS' GUIDE. 



It has been thought best, in order to increase the 

 usefulness of this little book to practical farmers, to 

 add to the specific information given in the preceding as 

 to the making and feeding of silage, a brief general outline 

 of the main principles that should govern the feeding 

 of farm animals. This will include a statement of the 

 character of the various components of the feeding stuffs 

 used for the nutrition of farm stock, with tables of 

 composition, and a glossary of scientific agricultural 

 terms often met with in agricultural papers, experiment 

 station reports, and similar publications. Many of these 

 terms are used constantly in discussions of agricultural 

 topics, and unless the farmer has a fairly clear idea of 

 their meaning the discussions will often be of no value 

 to him. The information given in the following is put 

 in as plain and simple language as possible, and only 

 such facts are given as are considered of fundamental 

 importance to the feeding of farm stock. 



Composition of the Animal Body. 



The most important components of the animal body 

 are: water, ash, protein, and fat. We shall briefly de- 

 scribe these components: 



Water is found in larger quantities in the animal 

 body than any other substance. It makes up for about 

 a third to nearly two-thirds of the live weight of farm 

 animals. The fatter the animal is the less water is found 

 in its body. We may consider 50 per cent, of the body 

 weight a general average for the water content of the 

 body of farm animals. When it comes to animal products 

 used for food purposes, there are wide variations in the 

 water content; from between 80 and 90 per cent, in case 

 of milk, to between 40 and 60 per cent, in meat of various 

 kinds, about 12 per cent, in butter, and less than 10 per 

 cent, in fat salt pork. 



Ash or mineral matter is that portion of the animal 

 body which remains behind when the body is burned. 

 The bones of animals contain large quantities of min- 



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