APPENDIX 



231 



of a food as ascertained by chemical analysis is of great 

 value in the comparison of foods, and especially of foods 

 of the same class. It must not, however, be assumed that 

 an animal is capable of digesting the whole, or, in many 

 cases, anything approaching the whole, of the nutritive 

 constituents. 



The amount digested varies (i) with the kind and 

 age of the animal ; (2) with the class of food. Ruminants 

 naturally digest more of the so-called indigestible fibre 

 than horses, so that such foods as grass or hay are of 

 greater feeding value for sheep and oxen than for horses. 

 In the case of cereals and the leguminous foods, the 

 power of digestion of both classes of animals is very 

 similar. The following table, drawn up from various 

 sources (especial use having been made of the investiga- 

 tions of Dr. E. Wolff), shows the 



Average Percentage of Digestible Constituents 

 IN FooDs.i 



^ In the above table the figures are only carried to the nearest 

 \ per cent. It may be noted that in some cases the amount of 



