226 PRINCIPLES OP FEEDING FARM ANIMALS 



All buyers of commercial feedingstuffs should familiarize 

 themselves with their state laws relative to the sale of 

 commercial feedingstuffs and make good use of the bulletins, 

 etc., published by the state authorities having the regulation 

 in charge. 



Even if the " balanced " mixed feeds offered by the dealer 

 are composed of pure, sound feeds it is usually not profitable 

 to buy them. Carbohydrates can be raised more cheaply on 

 the corn-belt farms than any other place in the United States. 

 What the corn-belt feeder lacks is protein, and when he buys 

 any considerable amount of carbohydrates as he does when 

 buying a balanced mixed feed, he buys a nutrient of which he 

 already has an abundant supply in his farm feeds. Also he 

 pays the freight both ways, the elevator man's profit, the 

 commission man's profit, the manufacturer's profit, and the 

 dealer's profit. 



So, under ordinary conditions, corn-belt feeders should 

 ]juy only nitrogenous feeds, should insist on having a stand- 

 ard product, and should ask for the guaranteed analysis 

 of the feed. 



Oftentimes there are different grades of the same feeds 

 on the market. Thus one may purchase cottonseed meal 

 containing 20 to 45 per cent of protein, or tankage containing 

 30 to 60 per cent of protein. Almost invariably it is more 

 economical to purchase the best grades rather than the poorer 

 ones, as it will not be profitable to pay freight on a lot of 

 cottonseed hulls or peat. 



In most cases it will pay the farmer to buy standard 

 feedingstuffs and mix his own rations, as he usually can mix 

 them as cheaply as the manufacturer, besides having the 

 assurance of knowing exactly for what he is paying. 



