142 DAIRY CHEMISTRY 



tein is largely supplied by the clover hay and oats, 

 and the carbohydrates in nearly equal amounts by 

 the corn fodder, clover hay, and oats. Corn and 

 bran are used in smaller quantities, but add appre- 

 ciable amounts of digestible nutrients to the ration. 

 While the mangels do not supply a large amount of 

 nutrients, they are very valuable in the ration in 

 other ways. They impart palatability and promote 

 secretion of the gastric and digestive fluids. In 

 case a smaller amount of milk is produced, the quan- 

 tity of grain should be reduced. If more than 30 

 pounds of milk are given, the grain part of the ration 

 should be proportionally increased. The ration con- 

 tains a sufficient variety of food materials, and the 

 foods are combined in such a way as to produce a 

 good quality of milk. It is not necessary that a 

 ration should conform absolutely with the tables. 

 A variation of .1 to .2 of a pound of protein in a 

 ration, provided there is a corresponding increase 

 in the other nutrients, will not seriously affect the 

 milk-producing power of the ration. 



The figures given in the Appendix represent the 

 average composition of feeding stuffs, as iound by 

 a number of experiment stations. Individual sam- 

 ples of coarse fodders may vary appreciably from the 

 average that is given. For example, it is possible for 

 corn fodder to contain as low as 1.5 pounds of digest- 

 ible protein per 100, or as high as 3.5 pounds. When 

 the coarse fodders are raised on rich soil and prepared 

 under the best conditions and cut when not overripe, 



