NUTRITIVE RATIO. 137 



ACTUAL. DIGESTIBLE. 



Water 14.3 per cent. per cent. 



Ash 4 6.2 



Protein : 9.7 



Fiber 26.3 



Starch, etc 41.0 



Fat 2.5 



100.0 



The digestible matter of these is stated in the second col- 

 umn. Finding the quantity o,f digestible matter in each, we 

 find this to be: 



ProteiT) H.4 per cent. 



Fiber 15. " " 



Starch, etc 25.8 " 



Fat 1.2 " " 



We then take these digestible equivalents for it is only 

 the digestible parts of the food that count in the feeding of 

 an animal as will be easily understood and calculate the 

 quantities of each. 



We then make this comparison: 



Digestible protein 5.4 



Digestible fiber 15. 



Digestible starch, etc 25.8 



Digestible fat 3.0 



438 



The fat is seen to be increased to 3. This is because a 

 pound of fat, being wholly digestible, and having two and a 

 half times as much nutritive effect as starch and other carbo- 

 hydrates, it is worth so much more, as food, as starch is. 

 Then we find that \Ve have 5.4 parts of protein to 43.8 of the 

 whole of the carbo-hydrates (the fiber and starch), and the 

 increased fat. All these are made up of carbon and water, 

 hence we call them all carbo-hydrates, but keep the fats 

 distinct. We then find the proportions between these as 5.4 

 is to 43.8 so is 1 to 8.1. 



Then 8.4 is the nutritive ratio between the carbo-hy- 

 drates and the protein, or one pound of the former exists in 

 the hay to 8.4 pounds of the others. 



This is the best natural nutritive ratio, or proportion, for 

 the support of any animal for ordinary growth. For fatten- 

 ing we increase or widen the ratio by adding to the carbo- 

 hydrates or the fats. 



Profit in sheep farming calls for the most generous feed- 

 ing, carefully carried through with the utmost regularity as 



