Wilson- — Food- Unit Method in the Fattening of Cattle. 27 



3; The age, breed, and sex of the exJDerinlental animals; 



4. The duration of the experiment. 



5. Details of the average ration. 



6. The total digestible albuminoids in the ration. 



7. The starch-equivalents of the digestible fats, carbohydrates, amideS, 

 and fibre in each ration. 



8. The total digestible matter and the total digestible albuminoids and 

 starch-equivalent of the rest of the digestible matter in each ration per 

 1000 lbs. live weight of the experimental animals. 



9. The albuminoid ratio of each ration, 



10. The digestible matter consumed for every pound of live weight 

 increase. 



11. The daily live weight increase of the animals. 



12. The average live weight of the animals during the experiment. 



Early in the latter half of the nineteenth century the theory was pro- 

 pounded that the efficiency of a ration depended upon its albuminoid ratio, 

 that is, upon the proportion of its digestible albuminoids to the digestible 

 carbohydrates, fats, and fibre together. Investigators like Wolfi and Kiihn 

 suggested ratios from 1 : 5 to 1 : 6 for fattening stock ; but, though this had the 

 effect of raising the money value of albumen far beyond what its fattening 

 power could liave justified, the albuminoid ratio theory never seriously 

 affected British stock fatteners, and towards the end of the century it began 

 to lose credit even among those who had been taught by its chief exponents. 

 Ml'. Ingle's digest shows that it was anything but a sure and certain guide. 



It was then seen by some investigators that even the total amount of 

 dry matter in a mixed ration and, still more, the total digestible matter was 

 a better measure of the ration's efficiency. Of course, it was realized that 

 every animal's albuminous waste must 'oe made good and its needs supplied 

 for the production of growing tissue ; but, when Kellner's work became 

 known, it was obvious that his proposal was still better, namely, that, when 

 sufficient albumen has been fed to meet albuminous waste and produce 

 growing tissue, the test for the rest of the ration should be the proportion it 

 contains of digestible starch, fat, and fibre : the two latter being reduced to 

 their energy-producing equivalent in starch, and the three together called the 

 " starch equivalent." 



But few farmers have the technical knowledge with which alone Kellner's 

 proposals are to be adapted to a particular case ; still fewer when they are 

 expressed in calories. 



D 2 



