THli EXPERIMENT STATlOiSS, 49 



excess, or if work is desired, an excess of flesh-forming foods. 

 If the weight of an animal be talcen, and all it eats and drinks 

 for a period be weighed, and at the end of tiie period the 

 animal be weighed again, it can be determined exactly how 

 much the animal has assimilated from its food. If, then, the 

 food be analyzed, and also all the excreta of the animal, it can 

 be determined just how much of the flesh-forming and lieat- 

 giving elements the food contained, how much was digested, 

 and how much voided unused. This, of course, will give the 

 facts only for that particular animal under the particular 

 conditions obtaining, but in the course of time a large number 

 of such experiments have been made at diflerent plnces and 

 with different foods and animals, from all of which an average 

 can be had which should show very nearly the feeding value 

 of the food in question. At this point exact knowledge stops, 

 and the result is ready to be turned over to the farmer to be 

 used in the light of his own observation and common sense 

 with his own stock. The result is found to be a large saving 

 in the cost of feed per pound of weight gained, or per horse- 

 power of work done. Those who employ these methods can 

 do work or produce meat or milk or wool cheaper than those 

 who do not use them. In like manner all farm operations 

 are experimented upon and tested by exact methods for the 

 benefit of the farmer. Forage and other plants are tested for 

 their food or other value, and new plants as to their adapta- 

 bility to soil and climate. The effects of fertilizers are also 

 closely tested and different methods of intensive culture. 



The experiment stations are among the most valuable of 

 the educational agencies which the public puts at tlie disposal 

 of the farmer. Their means are limited, and no station c;ui 

 <lo all the desirable things at once, but gradually an im- 

 mense fund of accurate information is being gathered by the 

 different stations in this country and Europe, all of which is 

 made available to the agricultural world. Most stations send 

 their bulletins freely to all applicants, and all stations do so 

 to applicants within their own states. The farmer, however, 

 must apply for the bulletins, and, to be benefited, must study 

 them after he gets them, and make usr> of their lessons. The 

 number who as yet do this is extremely small as compared 

 4 



