40 



feed is mainly easily digested materials, such as succulent fodders 

 or ground grains. For the same reason, the older and tougher the 

 fodder is when harvested, the greater will be the labor of diges- 

 tion. Some German experiments have shown that from 10 to 12 

 per cent of the total euergj'of certain coarse, dry fodders was used 

 up in the labor of digesting the fodder. 



It may thus readily be seen that the extensive feeding of coarse, 

 woody fodders is a severe tax on the total energy of the ration in 

 the work of making the food nutrients available. It follows, then, 

 that a ration made up largely of grains and ensilage and early-cut 

 hays, with only a -small proportion of coarse or late-cut dry fod- 

 ders, will furnish a larger proportion of available energy than a 

 ration composed quite largely of coarse, dry fodders. This helps 

 to explain why the exclusive or heavy feeding of late-cut coarse 

 fodders to milch cows is not generally profitable. 



