her than fibre, and fat in 100 pounds of the hay. These first six columns give re¬ 
fits obtainable in the laboratory of the chemist. Now follows what the animal can 
o as shown by the most careful analysis of the food and excrements of farm ani- 
<als. Of the 7.5 poucds of albuminoids which exist in the 100 pounds of hay, we see 
y the seventh column that only 3.4 pounds are digested, the rest being waste, and 
assing out of the alimentary canal as solid excrement; 34.9 pounds of the carbohy- 
rates, or somewhat less than half of all, are digested. Of the fat, just one-third or 
ne-half pound enters the animal system. . , „ _ . 
To summarize then, of 100 pounds of this interior hay the animal gets tor use 3.4 
ounds of albuminoids, 34.9 pounds of carbohydrates, and .5 of fat, besides a small 
mount of mineral matter. Now for an explanation of a phrase of great importance 
i this connection. The fat in fodder has been supposed by some to have more value 
ian an equal weight of carbohydrates ; and since the function of each is in the main 
3 supply the body with heat, a pound of fat in burning gives off two and one-lialf 
imes the heat that a pound of starch does, and the value of fat is placed at two and 
ne-half times that of starch. If, then, we multiply the amount of fat given by two 
nd one-lialf and add it to the carbohydrates, we can get the ratio between flesh form- 
rs and the fat or heat formers. This is the nutritive ratio. With the hay under con- 
ideration we have of the digestible nutriment albuminoids, 3.4 pounds. Multiplying 
be five-tenths pounds of fat by two and one-lialf, and adding it to 34.9 pounds of car- 
ohydrates gives 36.15 pounds, and dividing the latter by the former gives 10.6, the 
utritive ratio : that is, for every pound of digestible albuminoids in this hay there 
[re 10 6 pounds of digestible carbohydrates. Dr. Wolff found that in Germany the 
verage cost of the ordinary food for stock was such that each pound of digestible 
lbuminoids will cost four and one-tliird cents, fats the same, and carbohydrates 
ine-tenths of a cent per pound. With these prices allowed, this quality of hay was 
rorth in Germany forty-eight cents per hundred pounds. This is shown in the last 
olumn but one of the table. The last column is more interesting and should becare- 
ully consulted by every person who feeds stock. It is a comparative table with av- 
rage meadow hay, which is probably equal to our best hay, as the standard. Calling 
verage hay worth a cent a pound or one dollar per hundred pounds, we can get at 
he relative values of other fodders. Thus we find bran worth $1.63 per hundred 
lounds * not meaning that bran is really worth that, but only on the supposition that 
verage’hay is worth one dollar per hundred pounds. If hay is worth but half that, 
hen we can afford to pay but half of $1.63 per hundred pounds for bran. It must be 
emembered that all these results are, with but few exceptions, from German exped¬ 
ients, and that the values of the food are those obtained by proper feeding. 
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