35G l^AlsrXJAL OF OATTLE-FEEDIKO. 



carrots, etc.) are reservoirs of food for tlie yoxmg plants, 

 but are, however, really roots and not stems. 



Besides tlieir large content of non-nitrogenons nutrients, 

 these feeding-stuffs contain a large amount of water, viz., 

 on the average : 



Potatoes. "io per cent. 



Sugar beets ^^ • ^ 



Carrots . . * .^ S5 9 



Rutabagas 87.0 



Mangolds • ^8. 



Parsnips ^^ • *^ 



Turnips * ^^ • ^ 



it 



Potatoes are decidedly less watery than roots, while, of 

 the latter, turnips contain the most water and the otliers 

 about the same quantity, the slight differences shown by 

 the above averages of all trustworthy analyses being of no 

 significance. 



These considerations indicate clearly the j^roper method 

 and limits of the use of root crops as fodder, elust as the 

 feeding-stuffs previously considered are adapted to f uniibh 

 albuminoids, and so to narrow 'the nutritive ratio of a 

 ration, so these are admirablv adapted to furnish carbhy- 

 drates in an easily digestible form, and to widen the nutri- 

 tive ratio. 



Neither kind of fodder can be used alone. Each can 

 supply the wants of the organism in one particular di- 

 rection, and one only. In order to obtain good results 

 from roots, they must be fed along with other and more 

 nitrogenous fodder. For this there are two reasons —tirbt, 

 roots are unable of themselves to supply enough ])r()tein 

 for the needs of the animal, containing as they do bnt a 

 trifling quantiiy ; and second, without the addition of more 

 protehi to the ration much of the noti-nitrogenoub imtricutB 



