128 



" The subject of manure led to the consideration of the best foods for 

 producing it in the most valuable form. 



"And from the inquiry into the best food for manure, it is natural to 

 pass to a reference to investigations into food used for the purposes of 

 nutrition generally. 



" The theory of nutrition is of some importance in breeding and rear- 

 ing stock, and fattening cattle. Food has to be considered in two ways, 

 first as regards its composition, secondly as regards its digestibility. 



" In examining the composition of a food, determination is made of the 

 percentage of albuminoids, or nitrogenous constituents which are flesh - 

 fVrmeis ; of fat ; of the carbo-hydrates, such as starch and sugar, serving 

 for the production of heat and mechanical work ; and of the ash consti- 

 tuents, such as lime phosphates for the supply of bone-material, &c. 



" The composition of food has also to be considered according to the 

 time it is harvested ; for instance, when grass is cut for hay, it should 

 be mown as soon as it flowers. — after that, it considerably deteriorates, 

 for the soluble carbo-hydrates are changed into indigestible fibre. 



"Again, luxuriant grass produced by irrigation contains more water 

 than ordinary grass ; it is therefore less nourishing, and a larger quan- 

 tity is required. 



" The foods that are richest in albuminoids have the highest nourish- 

 ing value, and therefore for fattening purposes the various descriptions 

 of oil-cakes are the best. Of the ordinary grasses, oats contain the 

 most nitrogen, and corn (or maize) the least. All the grains are rich 

 in an easily digested carbo-hydrate, namely starch. The grains are 

 poor in lime, and corn (or maize) does not even contain sufficient for a 

 rapidly growing animal. 



" The digestibility of each kind of food has to be considered, and also 

 the influence of one food on the digestibility of another. The latter 

 point is as important as the former. For instance, foods rich in starch, 

 like mangels, cannot be given in greater proportion than 15 per cent 

 of the fodder without h ssening the digestibility of the fodder, whereas, 

 a nitrogeneous focd like oil-cake may be given without interfering with 

 its digestibility." 



Fream gives the following average percentage of albuminoids in the 

 leading nitrogenous food employed in feeding farm animals : — 



Decorticated cotton cake . . . 





41 



Linseed cake 





25 



Linseed 





24 



Beans 





22 



Undecorticated cotton cake 





19 



Oats 





12 



Corn (Maize) 





10 



Clover hay 





10 



The following are average percentages of fat 



in certain food : 



Linseed 





34 



Linseed cake 



« • • 



11 



Decorticated cotton cake ... 



• • • 



104 



Oats 



< 



6 



Undecorticated cotton cake 





5 



Corn (Maize) 





5 



