MANUAL OF CATTLE- FEEDIN-G. 



slieep. The fodder was tolerably rich in protein, and by 

 tbe gradual addition of increasing quantities of palm-nut 

 meal and flaxseed the amount of fat per day and liead was 

 increased finally to 75 and 100 grammes, ^^Idle the quantity 

 of the remaining nutrients was scarcely altered- The di- 

 gestibility of the fodder was not affected at all, either 

 favorably or unfavombly, and the health of the animal did 

 not suffer. 



Effect of Salt. — ^That salt plays an important part in 

 the nourishment of the animal organism, and is tor the 

 herbivora, even more than for the carnivora, an indis- 

 pensable food, has been already explained. Upon the 

 digestibility of the fodder, however, it seems to exert no 

 considerable influence in any way. The result of direct 

 experiments in Salzmunde, Ilohenheim, Dresden, and 

 Pioskau, has been to show sometimes an apparent de- 

 crease, and sometimes an apparent increase, of digestibility 

 as a result of the feeding of salt. 



Generally, however, nnder wholly normal conditions, 

 salt has shown itself without influence in this respect. 



The greater palatability of a fodder, and the larger 

 amount consequently eaten as a result of salting, is not to 

 be confounded with its percentage digestibility, which, as 

 we have seen (p. 259), is in general little affected by the 

 quantity eaten, especially of coarse fodder. 



Besides salt, other inorganic matters are sometimes fed, 

 especially phosphate of lime. This is not the place to con- 

 sider the necessity of such a procedure, nor its effects on 

 the nutrition of the animal. Here it need only be said 

 that, like salt, they appear to exert no effect on the digest- 

 ibility of the organic nutrients. 



