ILLINOIS DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATIOISr. 29 



The rational ration is the properly balanced ration. In round numbers 

 the proportion should be about as one part of nitrogen to five parts of car- 

 bon. But proportion must be varied with age and condition, and in accord- 

 ance with surroundings. The food proper for summer is not proper for 

 winter. It not only needs to be more succulent in summer, but less carbon- 

 aceous, as temperature is more easily kept up, and an excess of carbonaceous 

 food causes fever. 



The German standard ration per day, and for every thousand pounds of 

 live weight of a milch cow, is 24 pounds of dry organic matter, which con- 

 tains 2.50 pounds of nitrogenous matter and 12.90 pounds of carbonaceous 

 matter This is very nearly the composition of the best early-cut and 

 properly-cured hay. Dr. Wolfe compounds a daily ration as follows for 

 every 1,000 pounds of live weight : ' 



12 pounds of average meadow hay 

 6 " oat straw 



20 " marigolds 



25 " brewer's grain 



2 " cotton-seed cake 



This combined has a composition of 23.8 pounds of dry organic matter 

 contammg 2.55 pounds of nitrogenous matter, and 13.00 pounds of c^bon 

 aceous matter. ^«xuuu- 



Por the same purpose, Prof. S. W. Johnson gives two rations. First : 

 20 pounds cured corn fodder 



5 " rye straw 



6 " malt sprouts 



2 " cotton- seed meal 

 Second : 



15 pounds corn fodder 



5 " bran 



5 " malt sprouts 



3 " corn meal 



2 " cotton-seed meal 

 In feeding for milk, of course the elements of the milk must be in the food 

 or the cow cannot elaborate milk from it. I quote from Prof. Stewart's book 

 the composition of 6,000 pounds of milk : ^ « wdx i. b dook 



DRY SUBSTANCE. j^^^ 



Casein and Albumen. oqa' 



Pat or Butter .*;; oS 



Milk Sugar (in whey) .' .* " 970 . 



Salts or Ash ./..['/.'.'.'.'[['.'.'.'.', 39 6 



Total Dry Substance ~~7«n~" 



^^*«^ :::::::::: 5,220 



6,000 



I have before remarked that American experimenters have been able to 

 modify the ration of the Germans for our use. I will quote a few, furnished 

 by Prof. Stewart, that can be easily compounded here in the west 4ving 

 what he estimates as the average cost : ' ^ ^ 



