964 Feeding Stuffs in January. [Jan., 



FEEDING STUFFS IN JANUARY. 



E. T. Halnan, M.A., 

 Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. 



It will be noted in scanning the table of prices appended 

 that the price per unit of food value of various feeding stuffs 

 differs greatly. It may be as well to consider the causes 

 responsible for these variations. 



The guiding principles which govern the price of a feeding 

 stuff (apart from the question of supply and demand) are (1) 

 its food and manurial values, (2) its appearance, (3) convenience 

 of feeding, (4) its dietetic and condimental values, (5) its 

 palatableness, (6) and last, but not least, its wholesomeness. 



(1) Full information on the food value of the various con- 

 centrated feeding stuffs on offer in the markets and the relative 

 money values of the various foods on offer are summed up in the 

 table on p. 9G5. In the footnote is given a method whereby the 

 farmer may distinguish which of any foods he contemplates pur- 

 chasing is the cheapest from the food standpoint. 



(2) The appearance of a food generally weigtfs much too 

 heavily in the mind of the buyer when making a purchase. A 

 food with a pleasing and attractive appearance often commands 

 a better price owing to this. A case in point is the differential 

 price generally ruling for bran and broad bran. In one instance 

 two earth nut cakes were on offer, with a difference in price 

 per ton of nearly 20s., though the cheaper and less attractive 

 cake was actually of better feeding value than the more attractive 

 and expensive one. 



(3) In view of present labour conditions the convenience of 

 feeding is an important point that the practical feeder cannot 

 neglect. Cakes are generally much easier to feed than meals, 

 and the feeder must decide for himself how much more per ton 

 he is prepared to pay for this convenience. 



(4) The dietetic value of a food is an extremely important * 

 point of which all feeders are well aware. In fact, it is generally 

 lack of knowledge of this point that makes feeders cling to old- 

 established feeding stuffs and makes them doubtful of using 

 new ones. The result of this is to depress all unfamiliar feeding 

 stuffs below their true market value, and it is in this direction 

 that practical progressive farmers may reap the advantage of 

 low prices. In this connection, wrong feeding often creates an 

 unwarranted prejudice against a feeding stuff. The ancient 



