108 
FEEDING VALUE OF STRAW. 
The analyses of hay which from time to time are published 
exhibit everything but uniformity. This arises from the 
complex and unconstant nature of the article, which, as is 
well known, is a variable mixture of various grasses and 
clovers. 
Good hay, carefully saved, has, on an average, the follow¬ 
ing composition: 
Water .... 
15 
Flesli-forming substances 
8 
Fat-formiu" matters 
4i 
Woody fibre 
27 
Ash (mineral matter) . 
6 
100 
Coarse hay, which had been 
subjected 
to the 
influence of 
heavy and constantly recurring 
rain, will 
probably have the 
following composition : 
Water .... 
14 
- Flesh-forming substances 
4 
Fat-formiug substanees 
37 
Woody fibre 
40 
Ash ..... 
5 
100 
The following table, compiled by Dr. Voelcker, exhibits the 
composition of the straw of the cereals; and by comparing 
the analyses set forth in it with those above given, a toler¬ 
ably accurate estimate, for practical purposes, of the relative 
value of both classes of feeding substances, may be iL.^lised. 
Wheat StraiD. 
^ye Straw. 
Barley Straw. 
Oat Straw. 
Water . 
. 14-23 
14-30 
14-30 
12-06 
Flesh-formers 
. 1-79 
2-29 
1-68 
1-63 
Fat-formers . 
. 31-06 
31-15 
39-98 
37-86 
Woody fibre. 
. 45-45 
43-18 
39-80 
43-60 
Ash 
. 7*47 
3-08 
4-24 
4*85 
100-00 
lOO-CO 
100-00 
100-00 
From these tables it will be seen that the only very im¬ 
portant difference between hay and straw is the high per¬ 
centage of flesh-forming substances in the former. But it 
should be borne in mind, when comparing the relative value 
of the two articles, that the amount of flesh-formers in a 
substance is no longer taken as the absolute criterion of its 
nutritive value. There is a good reason to lead us to assume 
that all the fat-forming substances in the oil-cake given to 
