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NUTRITIVE COMPOSITION OF SOME IMPORTANT HUMAN AND STUCK Foops 
OF THE LEGUMINOSAE, 
Food-stuffs. 
ae es Fat, Carbohydrates. Nutritive Ratio. 
2 52 1:29 
1.6 46 1:2.7 
1.35 55 1:2.4 
17.6 6 1:1.2 
47 24 1:4 
Fodders. 
Red clover hay...... 0. 13.5 37 15 
ea-VINES........4. 2.6 34 1:4 
ee 28 2.5 58 1:2.3 
Alfalfa........ 16 2.5 32 1:2.8 
Vetch-hay... «1 20 2.3 29 1:2.3 
Lupine-hay.............. 17 2.2 31 1:3.4 
Thus, the smaller the relative number of carbonaceous units, 
the higher the nutritive ratio, for the greater the relative amount 
of albuminous or nitrogenous content. Since the latter is a far 
higher form of nutrient than the former, a high nutritive ratio isa 
great desideratum in foods, other things being equal. It must be 
borne in mind, however, that the nutritive ratio does not give the 
amount of nutritive value of the food, but only the kind of value ; 
because if 100 pounds of food contained but one pound of albu- 
minoid and four pounds of carbohydrate, its ratio of 1: 4 would 
be the same as though it had 10 pounds of albuminoid and 40 
pounds of carbohydrate, yet the latter would be ten times as 
valuable as the former. For this reason the feeding value must 
also be determined by taking some arbitrary value per pound for 
the carbohydrates and for the albuminoids, multiplying by the 
respective amounts and adding the products. Both of these 
elements have to be carefully computed in food-studies. The 
animal system, when left free, makes its own calculations as to 
both nutritive amount and nutritive ratio. We crave certain 
things required to maintain both the nutritive ratio and the 
amount of total nutrition. When, however, calculations have to 
be made in advance, as in preparing for-voyages or expeditions, 
or for the feeding of armies, or even of domestic animals, it be- 
comes necessary to determine the proper mixture for producing 
