344 The Feeding of Animals 



of many previous experiments, and found that the 

 addition of some highly nitrogenous feeding stuff to 

 corn meal, or other home -raised grain, in most instances 

 increased the productive power of the ration. This 

 fact stands in apparent conflict with the more scientific 

 conclusions to which reference has been made. The 

 probable explanation of this discrepancy is that the 

 rations richest in protein have generally contained the 

 greater variety of feeding stuffs, have been more palat- 

 able, more stimulating to the appetite, and, in general, 

 have caused a more vigorous exercise of the animal's 

 functions. The proportion of protein has probably 

 been a minor factor. If as great a variety of as pal- 

 atable and as easily digestible materials can be fed 

 without the use of highly nitrogenous feeding stuffs 

 as with them, the result will doubtless be just as favor- 

 able. This means that a mixture of home-raised grains 

 may form as efficient a ration for fairly mature fatten- 

 ing steers as when the oil meals or gluten meals are 

 introduced. Palatableness, variety and ease of diges- 

 tion are the main points to be secured, and these fac- 

 tors have been somewhat overshadowed by the effort 

 to secure merely a definite relation of protein to car- 

 bohydrates. 



It need not be feared that when mixed cereal grains 

 are fed as the major part of the ration, there will be 

 a materially lower rate of digestibility than when a 

 protein food is introduced. There is still something 

 to be said, however, in favor of adding to a fattening 

 ration a small proportion of an oil meal, or of some 

 material of similar character, for palatableness is thus 



