FAULTY RATIONS. 41 



of the dairying centers of the Eastern and Western States, snow 

 is on the ground several months of the year, and the requisites, 

 under these circumstances, must differ as regards winter 

 feeding from those at centers where most of the experiments 

 upon the digestibility of feeding stuffs have been made, in 

 fact where the nucleus of the entire science originated. It 

 must be constantly borne in mind that the standard we have The standard 

 adopted is simply a guiding basis for scientific feeding. It is ad P te() - 

 for the farmer to determine within what limits the individual 

 characteristics of a special environment are suited to the cow 

 being fed. It is important, however, not to be too hasty in 

 drawing conclusions, as a reasonable number of days must 

 elapse before the animal under consideration can come under 

 the entire influence of its new ration. 



By the use of special tables for computing rations* for farm Special tables, 

 animals, the work is much simplified. Many of the detailed 

 calculations are done away with, and only the results are given; 

 hence by their use there is a considerable saving of time. 



In calculating a ration, the main object in view is to combine 

 several feeding stuffs so that their total dry and digestible mat- 

 ter shall be near a standard accepted as a basis. To attain the 

 result in view, one must make a number of trials, reaching the 

 desired conditions only after several substitutions and alterations. 

 Many of the rations used for cattle feeding are by no means Faulty rations, 

 standard, and will not bear examination. For example, on 

 many dairying farms in California, 100 Ibs. of residuum cos- 

 settes, 15 Ibs. hay and 5 Ibs. barley per 1,000 Ibs. live weight 

 are used. This ration has the following percentage of dry and 

 digestible matter : 



*The tables used are to be found in Part Six of this volume. 



