THE INFLUENCE OF CHEMISTRY. 125 



feeding must be to compound our various fodder materials ii> 

 such a manner that the largest quantity of each of the three 

 groups of fodder substances which the animal is capable to 

 assimilate should be contained in its daily diet to meet ther 

 purpose for which it is kept. To compound the fodder 

 ration of our farm stock with reference to the special wants 

 of each class of them is an essential requirement for a satis- 

 factory performance of their functions ; to supply these 

 wants in an economical way controls the financial success of 

 the industry. 



The problem is an intricate one ; years of careful exper- 

 imenting were required to accumulate observations sufficient 

 in number and in quality to impart to the conclusion arrived 

 at the claim of being worthy of a serious consideration. The 

 first attempt to lay down rules for compounding the fodder 

 rations of all kinds of fiirm stock on rational scientific prin- 

 ciples was made by Dr. Grouven, Director of the Agricul- 

 tural Experiment Station, at Salzrailnden, Germany, 1858- 

 1864. He began his work with a critical compilation of 

 feeding experiments made by competent parties, some ninety 

 in number, his oAvn extensive experiments included. He 

 ascertained, in each case, the amount of each fodder sub- 

 stance consumed per day during each experiment ; and cal- 

 culated subsequently from their analyses the character and 

 the amount of the daily fodder rations. 



By this operation he learned the exact amount of nitrog- 

 enous, non-nitrogenous and mineral substances digested per 

 day, under definite circumstances, by each class of farm ani- 

 mals. The amount of fat which had been fed in the fodder 

 substances was separately recorded on account of its excep- 

 tionally high feeding value as heat-producing material. The 

 results of his' calculations were repeatedly tried by actual 

 feeding experiments, to test the cori-ectness of his conclu- 

 sions. The main object of Grouven's work consisted in 

 bringing the results of more than twenty years' careful in- 

 vestigations within the reach of the practical farmer. In 

 presenting his fodder standards to them, he recognized the 

 natural imperfections of a first efibrt. More than twenty 

 years' additional experience in leading European agricul- 

 tural experiment stations has modified some details itt 



