The ration with oats and Timothy hay, of which 30 Ibs of the 

 latter was used to obtain the approximate amount of protein, 

 shows an excess of over 16 Ibs. of dry matter to be digested, and 

 a waste of about 8 Ibs. of the starchy element carbohydrates ; 

 while the same amount of oats can. be balanced by the addition 

 of only 12 Ibs. of Lespedeza hay, or a saving in hay of 18 Ibs. in 

 a day's ration. 



From the above simple illustrations, therefore, the greater 

 feeding value of Lespedeza over Timothy hay must ibe very evi- 

 dent. 



The comparisons made here are not for the purpose of belit- 

 tling a valuable forage which belongs to another section of the 

 country mainly, but to place our Louisiana product in its true 

 light, and to afford information to our people who may be in 

 ignorance of it, viz., that there is a real difference in the feeding 

 value of the two products, and that the difference is in favor of 

 Lespedeza hay as compared to Western Timothy hay, as the 

 analyses, and other illustrations, plainly show ; and which should 

 commend judgment and discrimination in the purchase of these 

 forages. 



But there is another method of computation which may be 

 even more convincing, perhaps, than the bare tables of analyses, 

 which is to reduce the nutritive elements in each hay to a feeding- 

 unit, or starch (carbohydrate) basis. This is almost universally 

 accomplished by estimating each per cent of crude carbohy- 

 drates as the unit; each per cent of crude protein as worth 2 l /2 

 carbohydrate units; and each per cent of crude fat as equal to 

 2^ carbohydrate units. By this method it will be found from 

 the analyses given, that Timothy contains only approximately 

 66 of such feeding-units ; while Lespedeza hay contains about 81 

 feeding-units. 



Now, if we figure on the same basis, which is identical for 

 each hay, the man who purchases Timothy for, say, $25.00 per 

 ton, which contains only 66 feeding-units, is paying for each 

 unit approximately 38 cents. While, on the other hand, if he 

 pays, say, $15.00 per ton for Lespedeza hay, each unit is costing 

 him a little less than 19 cents. In fact, if he should pay as high 



