PREFACE 
THE general interest in matters pertaining to the farm and farm 
life that has been evidenced in recent years is one of the wholesome 
signs of the times. Farm animals have shared in this increasing 
interest, and the love of fine stock, as well as the desire to surround 
the animals with conditions that will secure the best results for the 
care and labor bestowed upon them, has been a potent factor in the 
development of animal industry in this country during the last 
generation. For permanent and fruitful advance in agricultural 
matters, it is agreed: that the boy must be interested; must learn 
about the realities and problems of' farm life; must be taught how 
to meet these and how to adjust himself to changes in new conditions 
of farming that may arise. Hence we find that courses in agricul- 
ture are being introduced into more and more schools; the agricul- 
tural college no longer has a monopoly of teaching animal husbandry, 
field crops, horticulture, ete. County agricultural schools and agri- 
cultural high schools, as well as graded schools in a number of 
States, are giving their pupils an opportunity to study the under- 
lying principles of farm operations. 
Until recently there were no text-books that met the needs of 
these different classes of students. This want is now, however, 
gradually being filled, and in some cases there is already a choice 
of carefully-prepared books, well adapted for the purpose intended. 
This volume has been prepared with a view to furnishing students in 
agricultural schools and colleges, as well as practical farmers, with a 
concise discussion of the main principles relating to the feeding of 
farm animals and of the various feeding stuffs available to our 
stockmen. So far as possible, different feeding practices for the 
various classes of farm animals have also been given and discussed, 
pointing the way to profitable methods of stock feeding under the 
variety of conditions existing on American farms. 
The treatment of this subject in text-book form presents pecu- 
liar difficulties. In view of the immense amount of research work 
that has accumulated and is being conducted and published every 
‘year, at public expense and otherwise, it would be easy to present 
a bewildering mass of detailed experimental evidence as to the merits 
_of different feeds and methods of feeding. This would not, how- 
ever, serve the purpose of either teacher or student. It has been the 
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