640 



CHAPTER CV, 



MANURIAI, VALUE; OF FOOD-STUFFS. 



T5ELA TION of food to growth and excrements, Generally 

 speaking, an animal requires, as sustenance diet, 4 lb?. 

 of food to every 100 Ibs. of live weight and the relation 

 between dry food and water should be about i : 4. Rumi- 

 ants require larger quantities of coarse food and animals with 

 small stomachs, such as the horse, require smaller quanti- 

 ties. 4 to 8 per cent, of the food consumed is assi- 

 milated and the rest is voided. One part of the Nitrogenous 

 food is voided in faeces and two parts in urine. A growing 

 animal increases about i lb. in weight for every 8 Ibs. of food 

 consumed above the sustenance diet. The proportion of 

 increase of weight in pigs is larger i.e., they increase i lb. 

 in weight by consuming only 4 to 5 Ibs. of food above the 

 mere sustenance diet. Sustenance diet is what "will keep an 

 animal from starving or decreasing in weight. The increase 

 in weight is due chiefly to the accumulation of water and fat 

 and mineral matters. The proportion of development be- 

 tween albuminoids, water and fat while an aninal is fattening 

 is as i : 3 : 7 and the proportion of ash in lean meat to fat 

 meat is as i : 3. 



1,108. Cattle-foods vary very much in their manure-value. 

 The manurial value of food-stuffs depends entirely on the 

 proportions of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash they 

 contain. From these must be deducted the proportions of 

 these constituents utilised by the animals in the building 

 up of their bodies. Except in the case of growing animals 



