INTRODUCTION Xix 



the large number of by-products on the market, especially as 

 these feeds vary considerably in price and even more in nutri- 

 tive value. Most economical feeding is therefore only possible 

 when the relative values of these purchased feeds and the 

 farm grown feeds are clearly understood. Oftentimes a man 

 can sell to good advantage a part of the feeds produced upon 

 the farm and buy commercial feeds for his live stock. On the 

 other hand many farmers buy commercial feeds at prices much 

 above their true value. Also the manures from some feeds 

 have a much higher fertilizing value than the manures from 

 others, thus necessitating a knowledge of the fertilizing values 

 of feedingstuffs. 



A partial solution to the problem of the "high cost" of 

 living may be found in rational stock feeding. A large part 

 of our farm crops are unfit for human food. However, by 

 feeding these rough feeds to meat or dairy animals, we may 

 convert an otherwise useless product into the most nutritious 

 of foods. Many farmers, especially west of Ohio, burn tons 

 of corn stover and straw every year because there is no market 

 for them and they have no live stock to eat them. As you 

 will learn later, one-third of the feeding value of the corn crop 

 is in the stover. However, the only way to recover that third 

 and make it fit for human use is to feed it to animals and 

 convert it into meat or milk, or wool. Our soil experts tell 

 us that in order to maintain the fertility of our soil econom- 

 ically we must introduce a legume into the crop rotation. To 

 do this and make the most profi't from our land, we must keep 

 live stock in order to convert the roughage of the rotation into 

 human food. 



