12 REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE 
In addition to the demands for food already mentioned, there 
remains the necessary amount*required to repair the constant 
waste of flesh and bone which is going on in the animal, the 
material needed to build up the growing animal, and with the 
female the production of milk and the development of the foetus. 
In providing for these several demands of the animal it is diffi- 
cult, if not impossible, to trace the complex chemical changes 
which go on within the animal, and to determine with rigorous 
accuracy the function of the several constituents of the food, but 
careful experiments may enable us to learn what is at least prob- 
able, and lead to valuable practical results in pointing out the 
manner of feeding with greatest economy. 
If we.take the case of the cow Nellie for consideration we find 
that she digested of the total dry matter of her ration, of which 
64.64 per cent was hay and 35.36 per cent grain, 62.73 per cent: 
Of the total ash 33.0 per cent; of the albuminoids 65.2 per cent; 
of the carbohydrates 67.4 per cent; of the fats 70.8 ‘per cent, 
and of the fiber 44.3 per cent of the amount present in the total 
ration was digested. 
There was found in the milk product a certain portion of nitro- 
genous matter (casein), carbohydrates (sugars), fats (butter) and ash. 
There was also found in the urine a certain portion of nitro- - 
genous matter, and smaller amounts of other organic and inor- 
ganic matters. 
We may compare the amount of the several food constituents 
digested with the similar products found as follows : 
a 






Albumi- | Carbo- : 
noids. | hydrates. Fats, Fiber. 







eee 
Ounces. | Ounces. | Ounces. | Ounces. ‘ 
MINE CBUOG es oe eee oui ke ce tuae weed Jen eae 41.3 147.7 *13,9 47.5 
PMD INET Friar o's’ wide ude Whe vaia's Some LV Face a Rade 40.9 | ° 14.5 19.1 | cpp saeeene : 


Upon a first view of the above it would appear that the albumin- 
oids digested practically supplied the demand of the animal for 
this constituent of food, that the supply of fats in the food was 
unequal to the amount secured in the milk, which deficiency it 
would seem was made up by the carbohydrates which were 
present in the food greatly in excess of the apparent demands, 
and, owing to the chemical composition of those two compounds, 
it is not improbable that the excess of fat was thus provided. At | 
