DEFINITION OF TERMS USED. 219 



Nitrogenous substances. Substances containing nitro- 

 gen (which see). 



Nutrient. A food constituent or group of food con- 

 stituents capable of nourishing animals. 



Nutritive ratio. The proportion of digestible protein 

 to the sum of digestible carbohydrates and fat in a ration, 

 the per cent, of fat being multiplied by 2*4, and added to 

 the per cent, of carbohydrates (crude fiber plus nitrogen- 

 free extract). 



Organic matter. The portion of the dry matter which 

 is destroyed on combustion (dry matter minus ash). 



Oxygen. A chemical element found in a free state 

 in the air, of which it makes up about one-fifth, and in 

 combination of hydrogen in water; oxygen is also a rarely- 

 lacking component of organic substances. See Carbo- 

 hydrates and Hydrogen. 



Protein. A general name for complex organic com- 

 pounds mainly made up from the elements carbon, hydro- 

 gen, oxygen, and nitrogen. Crude protein includes all 

 organic nitrogen compounds, while true protein or albu- 

 minoids (which see) only includes such nitrogenous sub- 

 stances in feeding stuffs as are capable of forming muscle 

 and other tissue in the animal body. 



Ration. The amount of food that an animal eats 

 during twenty-four hours. 



Roughage. The coarse portion of a ration, including 

 such feeding stuffs as hay, silage, straw, corn fodder, 

 roots, etc. Concentrated feeding stuffs are sometimes 

 called grain-feeds or concentrates, in contradistinction to 

 roughage. 



Silage. The succulent feed taken out of a silo. For- 

 merly called ensilage. 



Silo. An air-tight structure used for the preservation 

 of green, coarse fodders in a succulent condition. As 

 verb, to place green fodders in a silo. 



Soiling. The system of feeding farm animals in a 

 barn or enclosure with fresh grass or green fodders, as 

 rye, corn, oats, Hungarian grass, etc. 



Starch. One of the most common carbohydrates in 

 feeding stuffs insoluble in water, but readily digested and 

 changed in sugar in the process of digestion. 



Succulent feeds. Feeding stuffs containing consider- 

 able water, like green fodder, silage roots and pasture. 



Summer silage. Silage intended to be fed out during 

 the summer and early fall to help out short pastures. 



Summer silo. A Silo used for the making of summer 

 silage. 



