CHAPTER XIX 



FOOD AND THE FEEDING OF CONTINUOUS 

 CROPS 



No farmer, be he large or small, can hope to get the 

 best results from the feeding of his stock, who has not 

 at least a working knowledge of the scientific principles 

 involved in foods and feeding Standard rations may 

 be given, but, hke standard manurial formulas, they 

 can more often than not be improved upon by the man 

 who has a brain and will use it. 



All food can be divided into the digestible and 

 indigestible portion. From the feeder's standpoint 

 we need only concern ourselves with the former. 

 This digestible portion becomes " dissolved '* in the 

 animal's stomach, absorbed into the blood stream, 

 goes to repair the different parts of the body, and 

 supplies the animal with heat and energy. This 

 portion is spoken of as the maintenance dietary of 

 the food. 



All the digestible part over and above that required 

 for maintenance is utilised for the production of 

 various animal products. This is called the pro- 

 ductive DIETARY and in the case of a dairy cow goes 

 to form milk and help in the building up of the unborn 

 calf, whilst in bullocks, pigs, and store sheep it goes to 

 produce beef, pork, and mutton respectively, and also 

 wool in the sheep. This is the case also with ewes, in 

 which the productive dietary helps in the building up 

 of the unborn lambs, and the milk for the lambs when 

 born. 



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