BULLETIN No. 87d. 
53 
19. CONCLUSIONS. 
The object of these experiments has been to determine and bring 
together data by which stock-breeders and feeders can easily fix on 
the kinds of cattle foods or by-products which are best to feed 
together for economical growth, work, or production of milk or 
meat. 
The coefficients of digestibility thus far found will, of course, be 
subject to modifications when other determinations have been made, 
but the larger the number entering into the composition of a mean, 
or average, will bring that mean nearer the probable digestibility 
for fodders and rations of the several kinds as they are found 
throughout the country. 
These coefficients, brought together in the preceding table from 
the previous pages, will be used in compiling handy tables for every¬ 
day use, with others from various sources. These, it is hoped, will 
soon be available for practical feeders. 
The digestion of rations has been undertaken here with articles 
of wide ratios, and therefore show markedly the effect of narrowing 
the ratio. These results of digesting rations of increasing amounts 
of highly nitrogenous by-fodder in proportion to the coarse fodder, 
are of the greatest importance to stockmen. It illustrates how they 
can get the most possible out of coarse fodders, make their stock 
digest much larger quantities of those compounds, which, when 
thrown off in the manure pile, have no value except as humus in 
the soil, while they will help to maintain and fatten the stock. At 
the same time comparatively large quantities of nitrogen, potash, 
and phosphoric acid will be adding to the intrinsic value of their 
manure piles, and greater care will be needed to prevent waste there. 
Digestion experiments have been made on at least forty of the 
most common and important American cattle foods, yet few rations 
have been subjected to digestion with a view to compare actual 
digestion with what is assumed where rations are compounded for 
stock. A beginning was made in New York* with hay as the coarse 
fodder, to which grain mixtures were &dded. That important sub¬ 
ject has been continued in the work outlined in the present bulletin, 
and it is believed that the results will prove of interest and value. 
* Eighth An. Report N. Y. State Ag. Exp’t Station, pp. 130-131. 
