FEEDING RATIOKS. ' 153 



care. The standard feed mentioned above, viz., two 

 pounds of wheat bran and three pounds of fine yellow 

 meal, twice a day, with fifteen pounds of hay, is quite 

 suliicient for an ordinary cow, and as much as any such 

 cow can digest healthfully and profitably. There are 

 "'phenomenal" cows, as there are other animals, whose 

 digestive power and appetite seem to be unlimited. Any 

 good cow ought to pay well for such feeding, and it is 

 not giving any cow a chance to show what she can -do if 

 she is not furnished with at least this supply of food 

 regularly. 



We will now test the above practical experience by a 

 comparison with the standard of feeding given by scien- 

 tific investigations. It has been stated that a cow in 

 full milk should be supplied with a certain quantity of 

 digestible food elements, viz., "V / ^ pounds of nitrogenous 

 matter or albuminoids, V^>.^ / ^ pounds of carbonaceous mat- 

 ter or carbo-hydrates, and four-tenths (0.40) of a pound 

 of fat. These quantities are theoretical, but have been 

 proved by thousands of tests 'to be practically justified. 

 Now the ration fixed upon in our dairy contains the 

 following nutritive elements: 



Albuminoids, Oarbo-Hydrates. Fat. 



15 lbs. of clover hay. 1.60 5.64 0.31 



41bs.ofbraTi .40 1.94 0.12 



6 lbs. of corn meal .50 3.60 0.28 



2.50 11.18 0.71 



theoretical ration 2.50 12.50 0.40 



Difference -1.32 +0.31 



There is seen to be a deficiency of 1.32 pounds of 

 carbo-hydrates and a surplus of 0.31 of a pound of 

 fat. This excess of fat will very nearly make up the 

 deficiency of carbo-hydrates. But the actual value of 

 the foods above given, on account of the extra quality — 

 the very best of each being used — would raise the total 

 feeding value to 3.12 pounds of albuminoids, 13.98 



