Delaware gazette and state journal., 1884-06-12
AGRICULTURAL MATTERS.
rnnanur nsilan sl..,. !.

Az the meeting of Pennsylvania dairy |
men on March 27th, Professor W. II. |
Jordan OF the State Agricultural College, |
read paper from which the following is
taken
The most profitable ration for miloh
cove must fill two conditions st least ~
IL muat contain nutritive sE distances OF
the right kind and in sufficient On sntitie0
to produce the constituents of the milk
at The maximum rate of which the animal
Ia capable. (2) The food must be- such
as to have no aaleterious influence on the
dairy prodnets. It is important to know,
frat OF all, what are the Ingredients OF
cattle foods what produces the various
constituents OF milk. Milk contains as
its many and important constituents
osseine, sugar and water. We know
that all the osseine must come from the
heterogeneous (slbuminoid) portion OF the
food, nn6 the weight OF evidence ia largely
in favor Of the statement that the fat and
portion of the sugar OF milk have
similar source.
IL la certain that in the feeding expert
ments that have bsen conducted in study
ing the relation offood to. milk productions
the milk solids have risep and fallen In
manner corresponding to the rise and
fall Of the albuminoids in the food, even
though large quantities of non-nitro.
genouz, nutriuve Substances were fed in
the same ration. But when sufficient
albuminoid material has been fed rise
and fall Of the quantity OF tnon-nitrogenous
compounds in the ration has had oon-
paratively little effect, although an effect
is produced when the osrbo hydrates or
non-nitrogenous material contained in
the ration Ia so small comparative
quantity as to require the heterogeneous
material to do work just as well performed
by starch and sugar, thus diminishing
the amount available for other purposes.
We have cattle foods that are highly
nitrogenous and we have others contain
ing comparatively small quantities Of
albuminoid material. Many, in fsct most
of the more common cattle foods are not
highly heterogeneous. This is the case
with straw, corn fodder, timothy hay,
cornmesl and especially with roots.
Glover hay, young grass and wheat brsu
contain more nitrogen, while malt sprouts,
peas, beans, linseed cake, cotton. seed
meal and some other bi-produots, are
distinctively heterogeneous food. II is
probable that dairymen often make the
mistake Of feeding rstions that contain
too little digestible heterogeneous material.
The results Of European experimental
stations in cattle feeding have been en-
bodied in the so.called German feeding
standards" The standard for mileh
COWS is as follows, the quantities given
being the digestible nutriments needed
for one days feeding for each l,00C
pounds live weight: Proteine nitrogens,
Is pounds; osrbo-hy ydrsies, IL s pounds
fats, o. pounds. Now, suppose farmer
Is feeding his milch cows at the rate of IL
pounds of timothy hay, 6ve pounds oi
corn fodder (the amount actually eaten)
and 10 pounds of cornmeal daily for each
1000 pounds live weight, the amount oi
digestible nutrients fed would be approx
mately follows Protein, l.22 pounds
.hydrates, 1853 pounds fats, .5C
pounds.
It is seen at once that the ration Ii
defective in one particular II we aoceri
the German standard as approximately
correct. II lacks albuminoids. While
quite a departure from the Germsn
standard can be made without serious
results, nevertheless there is every reason
to believe that /, % pounds slbuminoids
will not supply the needs Of COW giving
II quarts Of milk per day. Let us make
the oaseine, fat and a portion Of the
sugar must come from the proteine, the
oaseiue alone in 80 pounds of average
milk requires nesrly one-sixth Of pound
of nitrogen, and in the ration we are con-
sidering there is only abcut one.fitth of a
pound of nitrogen in the heterogeneous
material dgested daily. But besides the
production Of oaseine, there are the fats
and sugar to be manufactured, at least
partly, from the albuminoids of the food
and some aid must be given from the
same source in the maintenance Of mus
cular activity, 1t, then, the COW ia to he
kept from growing poor, and ia to produce
30 pounds OF milk daily, she must have
more digestible heterogeneous material than
is contained In the ration above. But
how shall this material he furnished
Shall we increase the quantity OF timothy
hay and oornmesl II we do this we in
crease very largely the noD-Ditrogenoui
material Of the ration, and already oui
ration contains too mnch of this materia
in proportion to the nilrogeDons. W.
evidently need do introduce in place o
part of the hay or oornmesl highly nitro
geuoua food. This could be effected by usin
clover hay, instead Of timothy, AM
cotton seed in the place Of portion Of tn
oorumeal. Suppose we substitute for tn
timothy hay an equal quantity ai Glove
hay, and in the place OF three pounds {
oornmeal put an equal quantity of cotton
seed meal Our daily rations would the
contain the following quantities
digestible material Proteine, A pounds
carbohydrates, 1l.9 pounds; fats, s
pounds. This ration conforms quit
nearly to the theoretical standard, an
undoubtedly has far greater produotiy
power for the dairyman than the form,
ration, and st the same time costa bI
little more. While am not prepared
specify particular rations Of partiouli
substances, sm inclined to the opiniC
that most dairymen need to make the
winter ration more highly nitrogenou
The summer ration OF young grass Cam
be surpassed, and in the soiling syste
the quantity Of material is 30 large al
in 30 useful form that the need of 8
addition Of heterogeneous material is Il
felt.