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ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. 
Is also curious in this connection to note, that of the 7G4 cows, 23 pro. 
duced twins, or one cow in 33 1-3 of these ; 7 cows had twin females ; 5, 
twin males, and eleven had twin male and female calves. Those in the 
twins produced their owner 18 female calves and 16 male calves. 
From the many facts collected in various races of animals, it is quite 
safe to conclude that the sex of the young has no particular influence on 
the period of gestation. It is more probable that heredity, sifes, early 
,maturity, and various other integers in the problem, may control the 
tendency to long or short gestation. 
Food vs. Product, 
The value of an animal depends upon the profit it will give in compar- 
ison with the care and expense in rearing and fattening, in the case of 
beef cattle, and, of the cost of feeding, in comparison with the milk 
yield, in connection with dairying. In this we may safely conclude that 
an animal will produce less and less gain the longer it is kept, and thu 3 
early maturity becomes tho most important integer in the breeding of 
stock, whether it bo for beef or milk. The reason why the mature ani- 
mal consumes more in proportion to gain than the younger one is, that it 
takes a certain amount per pound of live weight to supply waste. The 
animal of a given age, according to breed and adaptability to fattening, 
can only arrive at a certain weight. Hence this ultimate weight reached, 
it will not increase. Long before this ultimate weight is reached, the 
animal will increase only in fat. Thus the flesh-forming element in the 
food is wasted, save that which supplies the daily waste in the animal 
economy. Thus from the data which we now present it will be seen how 
much may be considered necessary as food, under various conditions. 
Conclusions from Experiments. 
Prof. W. S. Johnson, in his report of the Connecticut Agriculture Sta- 
tion for 1877, gives the following translations from Dr. Wolff, a German 
experimenter. These, of course, must only be considered as approxima- 
tive. They, however, will show as being the result of practical experi- 
ment — principles upon which ratios may be made up of other material. 
Dr. Wolff, in illustrating the standard for a milch cow, says that 30 
lbs. of young clover hay will keep a cow in good milk ; that this contains 
of dry organic substance 23 lbs., of which is digestible — albuminoids 
3.21, carbo-hydrates 11.28, and fat 0.63. This is 71 lbs. albuminoids 
more, and .22 lbs. of carbo-hydrates less, with .13 lbs. of fat more, than 
the standard. The richest and best meadow hay contains in 30 lbs., of 
organic subutance 23.2 lbs., having digestible albuminoids 2.49 lbs., car- 
bo-hydrates 12.75 lbs. and fat .42 lbs. This comes very near the feeding 
standards. 
