
STANDARDS FOR RATIONS AND DIETARIES. 211 
individual animal been generally realized. We have learned that 
there is very little use in preparing formulas for fertilizers for a 
given plant to be used on different soils. The reason is that 
soils vary so widely in chemical and physical characters. We 
are gradually coming to understand that the differences between 
individual animals of the same kind if not as large as those 
between different soils, are nevertheless much greater than we 
formerly Supposed. This is a fact which must be taken into 
account both in our experimenting and in our practical feeding. 
‘*One point which Prof. Kiihn dwells upon is of especial inter- 
est. It is that in the feeding of milch cows the rations should be 
fitted to the production expected. Instead of a standard giving 
certain amounts of nutrients per thousand pounds of live weight, 
he proposes to use a basal ration, which will be a little more than 
a maintenance ration, and to add to this quantities of nutrients 
proportionate to the wants of each animal and the production 
expected. 
“Feeding standards and tables of composition and digestibility 
are invaluable helps to economical feeding. There is every 
reason to believe that they will be made more and more useful 
as experimental inquiry brings us more and more exact informa- 
tion. But they are only helps. ,‘They are to be regarded as indi- 
cations rather than rules. They can not take the place of the 
skill of the experienced practical feeder. In his treatise on cattle 
feeding, to which Prof. Kiihn refers, and which ought to be better 
known than it is on this side of the Atlantic, the principle is 
expressed in the German adage, which is taken as the motto of 
the book: ‘Das Auge des Herrn mdstet sein Vieh’ (the eye of the 
master fattens his stock).”’ 
Of late an attempt has been made in the United States to 
elaborate a feeding standard for milch cows.* ‘This formula — 
differs from those of Wolff and Kiihn, mainly in providing less 
protein and more fats and carbohydrates. In other words, the 
nutritive ratio is much wider than in the formulas of Wolff and 
Kiihn. A table comparing several different so-called ‘‘standard 
_ rations’’ may be found on page 46 of the present Report. 
It may be that in one case Wolff’s formula will be the best and 
in another the so-called ‘“‘ American standard ration,” proposed 
by Prof. Woll, will be the best ; that is to say, the most profitable 

* See Woll; Bulletins of Wisconsin Experiment Station, No. 33 and No. 38. 
