MAKUAL OF OATTLE-FEEDIKa. 395 



more especially since tlie protein consumption is thereby 

 diminished. 



There is no douht that, with a giv^ea amount of protein 

 in the ration, the addition of non-nitrogenous nutrients 

 will effect a gain of both flesh and fat ; but se^^eral con- 

 siderations forbid the use of too large quantities of carbhy- 

 drates and fat. 



In the first place, if the fodder contains too large a pro- 

 portion of non-nitrogenous matter, the animal will not 

 receive enough protein to cause any gain of flesh or to 

 supply material for the formation of new fat-cells. 



In the second place, experiments on sheep have shown 

 that the fattening of these aniznals is much more rapid and 

 certain on a ration containing a liberal proportion of pro- 

 tein, and there is no evident reason why the same thing 

 should not be true of cattle. The formation of fat from 

 carbhydrates cannot be regarded as proved. Still less 

 ]iave we any knowledge of the conditions under which it 

 takes place, and consequently we must for the present re- 

 gard them as only indirect aids in fattening. 



Feeding Standard. — The considerations just presented 

 render it manifest that the feeding standard for fattening 

 cattle must vary considerably under different circum- 

 stances. 



For slow fattening we might use such a ration as that 

 given on page 39^, viz. : 



Total dry matter 18-20 potiiids. 



Digestible protein ..., 2 " 



'^ carbliydrates and fat 13 '^ 



Nutritive ratio 1:6.5 



If a more rapid fattening is desired, two ways of attain- 

 ing the object present themselves. 



By increasing the non-nitrogenous matters of the above 



