30 FEEDING WITH SUGAR BEETS, SUGAR, ETC. 



With the view to accomplishing this, it is important to re- 

 member that the proportion of nutrients in the ration be well 

 considered. A too narrow nutritive ratio has a tendency to 

 increase the protein consumption of the body. As a general 

 thing, the nutritive ratio for cows can be narrower than for 

 animals fed for maintenance only. 



All facts considered, albumin is essential to milk production. 

 Among other advantages, it facilitates the absorption of water, 

 which has a favorable influence upon the flow of milk, etc. If 

 an excess of protein is fed it will be wasted. Feeding ex- 

 clusively with hay hardly ever gives the most satisfactory 

 results. In ordinary feeding it is noticed that there is consider- 

 able falling off when the percentage of digestible protein of the 

 ration decreases, while the non-nitrogenous elements may be in 

 abundance. From numerous experiments made not many 

 years since, it becomes possible to determine almost exactly the 

 amount of digestible protein needed, which is admitted to be 

 2.3 Ibs. to 3 Ibs. per 1,000 Ibs. live weight, and that of non- 

 nitrogenous substances 13.5 Ibs.; the nutritive ratio conse- 

 quently is about , in which is included 0.3 to 0.6 Ibs. of 

 digestible fat, while the total dry matter reaches 24 Ibs. to 

 35 Ibs. 



The satisfactory production of milk may also be accomplished 

 with a ratio containing less nitrogen, but the experiment to a 

 certain extent is rather risky. Wolff says, if after several 

 months the flow of milk reaches 10 quarts per 1,000 Ibs. live 

 weight per diem, and if the milk contains fat and albumin in 

 the proportion which constitutes good milk, it would be a great 

 mistake to feed less than 2.5 Ibs. of protein. Apparently an 

 increase in the amount of fat of a ration would, as does protein, 

 bring about a favorable effect upon the flow of milk, more 

 especially in regard to its percentage of fat; but practical ex- 

 periments in this direction do not show this to be the case. It 

 may, however, be admitted that an increase of fat in a ration 

 will slightly increase the flow of milk, which will contain more 

 fat than the normal milk, but it should be fed with precaution, 

 as otherwise it also would be wasted. Just to what this is to be 

 attributed is an open question. Wolff says that possibly a cer- 



