1895.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 33. 15 



as some call it, is composed principally of phosphate of 

 lime. The fat contains no nitrogen, but has as high as 76 

 per cent, of carbon, the balance consisting of oxygen and 

 hydrogen. 



The ash constituents of the body consists essentially of 

 lime, potash, soda, magnesia, iron, phosphoric acid and 

 sulphuric acid. The phosphate of lime predominates. 



Now, these various substances, making up the animal 

 body, — flesh, fat, ash and water, — are formed or obtained 

 ■direct with the aid of the oxygen of the air from the sub- 

 stances termed foods that the animal consumes. Our neat 

 stock, for example, consume the various coarse fodders and 

 grains and have the power within them of converting these 

 vegetable foods into flesh, fat and bone. 



Recognizing, then, the composition of the animal body, 

 both as regards its groups of substances and the more 

 elementary su])stances that make up these groups, let us 

 turn our attention to a brief study of the foods from which 

 the body is built up. 



Classification and Cojiposition of Cattle Foods. 



(a) Classification. 



For our })urpose cattle foods may divide into : (1) coarse 

 fodders, («) those rich in carbohydrates (cellular matter, 

 starch, etc.) and low in protein, and about 50 to 65 per 

 cent, digestible, (6) the legumes when cut in bloom, rich in 

 protein and about as digestible as («) ; (2) root crops, also 

 rich in carbohydrates and low in protein, but very digesti- 

 ble ; (3) concentrated foods with a digestibility of from 75 

 to 85 per cent. The concentrated foods should be sub- 

 divided into (a) those rich in carbohydrates and compar- 

 atively low in protein, such as wheat, rye, barley, oats and 

 corn; and (b) those that are rich in protein and compar- 

 atively low in carbohydrates, as peas, beans, gluten feeds 

 and meals, cotton-seed meal, linseed meals, peanut meal, 

 «tc. 



