PRINCIPLES OF STOCK FEEDING 



47 



tein. In lean animals the percentage of per cent, and a lean hog 73 per cent of 



protein is greater than in fat animals. dressed carcass, while a fat ox gave 60 



The ash of animals constitutes the P er cent °f dressed carcass, a fat sheep 



residue that is left after the whole body 53 P er cen t, and a fat hog 82 per cent, 



is burned. The ash is made up chiefly From tne butcher's standpoint, therefore, 



of lime, phosphoric acid, potash, sodium fat animals are worth more pound for 



and magnesia, with smaller amounts of pound live weight than lean animals, 



other materials, such as silicon, iron first because they do not dress away so 



chlorine and sulphur. much and second because of the better 



From the above table it can be calcu- quality of the meat of well fattened ani- 



lated that a half fat ox weighing 1000 mals - 



pounds would contain, exclusive of con- Having now considered the composi- 



tents of stomach and intestines, about tion of animals and the proportions in 



55.6 pounds of ash. A half fat ox weigh- which the various substances exist in 



ing 1000 pounds, inclusive of contents of thj body let us next examine plants, 



stomach and intestines, was found by study their composition, and see how 



Lawes and Gilbert to contain 18.39 they are fitted to nourish the animal 



pounds of phosphoric acid, 21.11 pounds body, 

 of lime, 2.5 pounds of potash and 0.85 



pounds of magnesia. The ash of sheep COMPOSITION OF PLANTS 



and hogs was found to exist in these ani- An animalg deriye ^ nourisWnt 



mals in proportions very similar to those directly or indirectly from pljmt8 At 



m tie ox * one time they feed on the green plants, 



Greater value of fat animals—There at another on the cured forage or hay, 



is another marked difference in the char- and again on the grain or by-products 



acter of the carcasses of lean and fat of the plant. The composition of several 



animals and that is the much larger important forage plants at different 



proportion of butcher's meat in fat stages of growth is shown in the table 



than in lean animals. Lawes and Gil- below, together with the analyses of sev- 



bert found that a lean ox gave 47 per eral grains for comparison. Other 



cent of dressed carcass, a lean sheep 45 analyses may be found on another page. 



COMPOSITION OF PLANTS. 



Nitrogen 



Water Ash Protein Fiber free extract Fat 



P er ct per ct per ct per ct per ct per ct 

 Green plants: 



Red clover 70.8 2.1 4.4 8.1 13 5 11 



Corn 79.8 1.1 2.0 4 3 12 1 7 



Timothy 61.6 2.1 3.1 11 8 20<> 12 



Cowpea 83.6 1.7 2.4 4.8 71 04 



Blue grass 49.4 3.9 5.2 15.4 24.9 13 



Cured plants: 



Clover hay 20.8 6.6 12.4 21.9 33 8 4 5 



Timothy hay 15.0 4.5 6.0 29.6 419 3 



Cowpea hay 10.7 7.5 16.6 201 42 2 2 9 



Blue grass hay 9.4 7.7 10.4 19.6 50.4 2.5 



Grains: 



Corn 10.9 1.5 10.5 2.1 69.6 5 4 



Oats 11.0 3.0 11.8 9.5 59.7 5.0 



Cotton seed 9.1 4.0 19.6 18.9 28.3 20.1 



The table shows that plants contain contain most water and the percentage 



water, ash, protein and fat the same as decreases as the plant approaches matu- 



animals do and in addition two other rity . All farmers have noticed how much 



classes of substances designated under more quick]y h cureg towapd the d 



^headings fiber and nitrogen-free ex- of ^ haying geason ^ at ^ begin _ 



"water in plants-Water constitutes J™* A \ ^ ? e ^Wa station 



*- nn«si wuBinuic timothy cut when j ust beginning to head 



a very large part of green plants, aver- , hf , / ? . . 



. i , %r. . • +1 i .„ lost 75 per cent of water in curing; when 



aging about 70 per cent in the plants L * . . . „ . , _ 6 ' 



mentioned. There is a less amount in cut at the beginning of the blossoming 



the cured plants and still less in grains. season the loss was 66 per cent, and when 



The percentage of water in plants is cut a little later or at about the usual 



not constant. Young growing plants time the loss was only 57 per cent. 



