THE RATIONAL FEEDING OF DAIRY STOCK 145 



oats contain 9.2 pounds of digestible protein, 4.2 

 pounds of fat and 47.3 pounds of digestible carbo- 

 hydrates, 107 pounds will be found to contain 9.84 

 pounds of protein, 4.5 pounds of fat, and 50.6 pounds 

 of carbohydrates. In case it is desired to compare the 

 nutrients in oats at 30 cents per bushel with the nu- 

 trients in corn at 50 cents per bushel, the same pro- 

 cess of calculation is carried on. One dollar will 

 purchase 112 pounds of corn, and since 100 pounds 

 contain protein, fat, and carbohydrates in the pro- 

 portion given in section 135, 112 pounds will con- 

 tain 8.85 pounds of protein, 4.83 pounds of fat, and 

 74.7 pounds of carbohydrates. The 107 pounds of 

 oats contain about a pound more digestible protein 

 than the 112 pounds of corn, but on the other hand 

 the corn contains about 24 pounds more digestible 

 carbohydrates. For ordinary purposes of feeding, a 

 larger return will be secured from 24 pounds of car- 

 bohydrates than from 1 pound of protein. If, how- 

 ever, the ration contains a scant amount of protein, 

 then 'preference should be given to the protein. But 

 at the price stated, corn could be used more econom- 

 ically than the oats. In determining the compara- 

 tive value of two grains, preference should always be 

 given to the protein ; but in case the difference in the 

 amount of digestible protein that can be purchased 

 for $1.00 is not large, while the difference in digest- 

 ible carbohydrates is quite large, then the food that 

 contains the smaller amount of protein, but larger 

 amount of carbohydrates, would be the cheaper food. 



