168 MANUAL OF CxVTTLE-PEEDIKG- 



by nnmerous experiments made on oxen, at Weende, by 

 lienneberg & Stohniann. In one case, e. g.^ the total 

 quantity of the digebtiblc nutrients in the daily fodder \\ as 

 increased from 17.86 to 19.46 pounds, while the ratio be- 

 tween tlio digestible albunnnoids and tlie non-nitrogenous 

 nutrients (the nutritive ratio) remained the same. 



The result was that, after the increase, 32 per cent, of 

 the total quantity of digested albuminoids was deposited 

 as flesh, while before only 18 per cent, had been. The 

 absolute quantities were 1.19 and 0.62 pounds. In other 

 trials, on a ration consisting exclusively of clover-hay, an 

 increase of fonr or five pounds per day and head in the 

 hay ration caused the amount of protein deposited as flesh 

 to increase from 9 per cent, to 14 per cent., and in another 

 experiment from 11 per cent, to 15 per cent, of the total 

 digested protein of the fodder. That is, out of every hun- 

 dred pounds of digested protein the animals converted 

 into flesh, on the smaller ration, 9 and 11 pounds, on the 

 larger, 14 and 15 pounds. These facts show how exceed- 

 ingly important it is, especially in fattening, to stimulate 

 the animals to the largest possible consumption of fodder 

 consistent with health ; a little more or less may produce 

 an essentially different effect, slxowing itself perceptibly 

 in a more or less rapid increase of the live weight. 



