120 BOAED OF AGRICULTURE. 



//. The Physiological or Nutritive value of an article of 

 Food refers to its actual Feeding effect. 



The market value and the actual feedino- effect of one and 

 the same article do not necessarily correspond with each other ; 

 in fact, they rarely coincide. 



The market value may be stated for each locality by one 

 definite number. The feeding effect of one and the same 

 substance, simi3le or compound, varies under different cir- 

 cumstances, and depends in a controlling degree on its judi- 

 cious use. Sugar fed without any suitable admixture has no 

 -feeding value ; it is worthless as the sole food of an animal. 

 Properly supplemented — as, for instance, in the sweet corn 

 — its nutritive value is very high. Bread has a high feeding 

 value for man ; a cat fed exclusively with bread dies, after 

 some weeks, under the symptoms of starvation. 



To compound the animal diet with reference to the partic- 

 ular organization of the animal, its age and its, functions, is 

 of no more importance than to select the fodder substances 

 with reference to its special ivants, as far as the ajbsolute and 

 relative quantity of the three essential groups oifood constitu- 

 ents are concerned. 



As no single plant or part of plant has been found to sup- 

 ply economically and efficiently to any considerable extent 

 the wants of our various kinds of farm stock, it becomes a 

 matter of first importance to learn how to supplement our 

 leading farm crops, to meet the divers wants of each kind. 

 To secure the hisrhest feeding value of each article of fodder 

 is most desirable in the interest of good economy. To try 

 to attain that end by means of the products of home industry 

 is a safe beginning. For this purpose it is desirable that we 

 should learn to look upon a plant, or a part of a plant, not 

 as a whole, but to pay more attention towards their compo- 

 sition. A little more acquaintance with the composition of 

 our fodder crops, — as far as the relative and the absolute 

 quantity of the three principal groups of essential constituents 

 of an animal diet are concerned, — cannot fail to enable us 

 to compound fodder rations for our stock on a more rational 

 basis. A thorough information regarding the general char- 

 acter of the crops, and an approximately correct idea regard- 



