122 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



capable of producing their principal constituents from any- 

 thing else than the nitrogenous constituents of the plants. 



Herbivorous animals receive these substances directly from 

 the plants ; carniverous animals indirectly, by feeding on her- 

 bivorous animals. We feed at present our farm stock too 

 frequently without a due consideration of the general nat- 

 ural law of nutrition ; to deal out our fodder crops only 

 with mere reference to name, instead of making ourselves 

 more familiar with their composition and their particular 

 quality, deprives us even of the chance of drawing an intel- 

 ligent conclusion from our present system of feeding. 



The peculiar character of our home-raised fodder articles- 

 is apt to conceal their special deficiency for the various pur- 

 poses they are used for in a general farm management. They 

 all contain the three essential food constituents, yet in widely 

 varying proportions, and they ought, therefore, to be sup- 

 plemented in diti'erent directions, to secure their full econom- 

 ical value. To resort to more or less of the same fodder 

 article to meet the special wants, may meet the case as far as 

 an efficient support of the animal is concerned, yet it can onlj 

 in exceptional cases be considered good economy. 



To satisfy the craving of the stomach and to feed a nutri- 

 tious food are l)oth requirements of a healthy animal diet,, 

 which, each in their own way, may be complied with. The 

 commercial fodder substances, as oil-cakes, meat refuse, brans 

 and our steadily increasing supply of refuse material from 

 breweries, starch works, glucose factories, etc., are admira- 

 bly fitted to supplement our farm resources for stock-feeding; 

 they can serve in regard to animal growth and support in a 

 similar way as the commercial fertilizer in the growth ot 

 farm crops, by supplementing our home resources. To feed 

 an excess of fodder materials, as roots and potatoes, which 

 contain a large proportion of non-nitrogenous substances, 

 as starch, sugar, digestible cellular substance, etc., means 

 direct waste ; for they are ejected by the animal, and do not 

 materially benefit the manure heap. In case of an excessive 

 consumption of nitrogenous constituents, a part of the ex- 

 pense is saved in an increased value of the manure, yet 

 scarcely enough to recommend that practice l)eyond mere 

 exceptional cases. The aim, therefore, of an economical stock- 



