FEEDING METHODS. 371 



spirit, loses his hold on matter and becomes an 

 idealist. He who deals with pure theory, in 

 whatever sphere, views things only in the ab- 

 stract, and forgets the trammels of daily life. 

 But the results of the theorist's labors are only 

 the more broadly true that they are worked 

 out in connection with abstract truth. The 

 more completely any phenomena, or set of phe- 

 nomena, can be separated from the concrete 

 cases in which they occur, the more catholic 

 will the cause underlying them be. When the 

 law is once ascertained the man of practical 

 affairs steps in, takes the general truth and 

 applies it to the various needs of the world of 

 action. 



Thus, the early experiments in feeding ra- 

 tions appeared visionary and absurd to many 

 practical men. As time went on the essential 

 truth in the theories became more and more 

 apparent, and through the intervention of men 

 at once learned and trained in applying theory 

 to practice the results of the scientific tests 

 have been brought nearer and nearer to the 

 feeder. 



I have more to complain of in the old happy- 

 go-lucky way of feeding stock. The theory 

 that "the method my father and grandfather 

 followed is good enough for me," is one of the 

 worst ever formulated. It in almost every case 

 indicates that the inherited method was an 



