590 Feeds and Feeding. 



Table IV. The Wolff Feeding Standards for Farm Animals. 



In 1864 Dr. Emil von Wolff, the great German scientist, presented 

 in the Mentzel & von Lengerke Agricultural Calendar, published an- 

 nually by Paul Parey, Berlin, Germany, a table of feeding standards 

 for farm animals based on the digestible nutrients in feeding stuffs. 

 This marked an era in the history of efforts toward the rational feed- 

 ing of farm animals. The last appearance of the table under the 

 directorship of Dr. Wolff was in 1896. From 1896 to 1906 the table 

 was annually presented by Dr. C. Lehmann, of the Berlin Agricul- 

 tural High School. The table which follows is a copy of the last 

 presentation by Dr. Lehmann. 



The table is given because historically it is worthy of a place in 

 any book on the feeding of farm animals, and further because no 

 matter what line one may ultimately follow in these matters, he 

 should know and understand the teachings of Wolff. 



The table has been for the most part fully considered in Chapter 

 VIII, to which the student is referred for further explanation as to 

 its purpose and manner of use. It only remains to say that the fig- 

 ures given in the column headed "Sum of nutrients" were written 

 into the table by Lehmann in a primitive effort toward expressing 

 the energy value of feeding stuffs. Having been superseded by later 

 work, (69-73, 141-6) no explanation of how the figures the column 

 contains were derived is necessary in this work. The following ex- 

 planations accompany the table : 



In considering the fattening standards the student should bear in 

 mind that the most rapid fattening is usually the most economical, 

 so that the standards given may often be profitably increased. 



Standards for milch cows are given for the middle of the lacta- 

 tion period with animals yielding milk of average composition. 



The standards for growing animals contemplate only a moderate 

 amount of exercise; if much is taken, add 15 per cent. — mostly non- 

 nitrogenous nutrients — to the ration. If no exercise is taken, deduct 

 15 per cent, from the standard. 



The standards are for animals of normal size. Those of small 

 breeds will require somewhat more nutrients, amounting in some 

 cases to 0.3 of a pound of nitrogenous and 1.5 pounds of non-nitrog- 

 enous digestible nutrients daily for 1,000 pounds of live weight of 

 animals. 



