FOODS FOR USE IIT THE DAIEY. 131 



pounds of dry substance free from all moisture, or about 

 thirty pounds of the best hay, containing two and a half 

 pounds of albuminoids, sixty-two and a half pounds of 

 carbo-hydrates, and 0.40 of a pound of fat ; equaling 

 15.40 pounds of nutritive- substance, giving, the pro- 

 portion of nearly five and a half pounds of carbonaceous 

 matter to one pound of nitrogenous. This is precisely 

 the ratio required for a young grov^ing animal, and ac- 

 cords with the fact that milk is a perfect food in every 

 respect for the maintenance of life and for vigorous 

 growth. By reference to the last line in the above table 

 it is seen that when the fat is multiplied by two and a 

 half, to equalize it in estimated value with the carbo- 

 hydrates, there are sixteen parts of these substances to 

 3.2 of nitrogenous ; thus making the ratio of five of the 

 former to one of the latter. 



The twenty-four pounds of dry nutritive matter are 

 contained in thirty pounds of the best young clover 

 hay; and this quantity of hay, or an equivalent of grass, 

 is taken as the standard food for a cow in full milk. 

 Of this thirty pounds there are twenty-three diges- 

 tible, consisting of 3.21 pounds of albuminoids, 11.28 

 pounds of carbo-hydrates, and 0.63 of a pound of 

 fat. This subject is merely used in this chapter as 

 preliminary to the following remarks and a fuller ref- 

 erence to it in the succeeding chapter. We now pro- 

 ceed to consider seriatim the list of foods mentioned 

 in the table, in reference to their use and adaptability 

 for the dairy, and especially in regard to their value for 

 the production of milk and their healthfulness. In this 

 consideration the author will give the results of his 

 practical experience during many years' work in the 

 dairy, helped by a large number of carefully-made ex- 

 periments and a study of the literature of the subject. 



Oats Grocnd are a costly food for the production of 

 milk, because of the large proportion of husk they con- 



