CONVENTIO:^ — PRINCIPLES OF STOCK FEEDING, 14U 
tive value are related, and which I trust may be of some use in aid¬ 
ing you toward a solution of the problem of the economical feeding 
of stock. 
Chemistry teaches that cattle-food contains, besides a small 
amount of mineral matter, four classes of substances. First, the 
class containing nitrogen, called nitrogenous substances or albumi¬ 
noids. Second, fats; third, starch and sugar; fourth, fibre. Of 
these, the nitrogenous substances (albuminoids) are considered most 
valuable, as they are capable of performing certain functions in the 
animal economy, for which the other classes are not fitted, and they 
are also present in plants in very small quantities and hence are 
difficult to obtain. Of the other ingredients, fat is the most valua¬ 
ble, as it aids the digestion of the other classes, especially of the 
fibre. Starch, sugar and fibre are usually classed together as car¬ 
bohydrates, and of them the fibre is least valuable, because least 
digestible, and all of them perform similar functions in the pro¬ 
cesses of nutrition. 
Not only is it true that food contains these four classes of sub¬ 
stances, but it is found to be true that there is a certain proportion 
in which they may be fed most economically. In experiments that 
were conducted at Weende, Germany, upon oxen at rest, it was 
found that they maintained their condition, when fed a daily ration 
containing, for each thousand pounds of live weight of the oxen, 
nine-tenths of a pound of albuminoids and seven and one-fifth 
pounds carbohydrates — in this calculation, one part of fat is reck¬ 
oned as equal to two and one-half parts carbohydrates — the ratio 
of albuminoids to carbohydrates being one to 7.9. 
Upon another ration containing 1.95 pounds albuminoids and 
7.39 pounds carbohydrates, the proportion being one of the former 
to 3.8 of the latter, the condition of the cattle was in no way im¬ 
proved. It was found that when the proportion of albuminoids to 
carbohydrates was increased to a greater proportion than one pound 
of the former, to 7.9 of the latter, there was waste of food, the al¬ 
buminoids not being all digested. 
This experiment was continued upon the same oxen for six 
months, with six different sets of daily rations, each having a differ¬ 
ent ratio of albuminoids to carbohydrates. But the first ration 
above given, having nine-tenths pounds albuminoids, and 7^ pounds 
carbohydrates for each one thousand pounds live weight, was the 
