Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-06-01

The significance of these figures is
that by mixing two or more together
the healthful nutritivc ratio of the feed
may be maintained, or that the dciici-
cncy of coarse folders, such as straw,
marsh hay, etc, may be made up, also
that an economical selection of foods
may be made for feeding for various
purposes, for growth, fat, milk or
butter.
Fat is more readily assimilated in
the system than starchy food. Fat is
essentially carbo-hydrate-that is, it
is made of carbon and hydrogen, a
starch, sugar and gum are; but while
these have to be digested and changed
in the digestive and assimilative organs
before they pass into the blood, fats are
emulsified in the liquid aliment which
passes from the stomach into the intes-
tines and become absorbed to large
extent directly into the blood, from
which they are deposited in the tissues
or pass into the udder and are secreted
in the milk, For this reason fat is valued
as food two and half times as much as
starch or sugar, and this higher value
is to be taken into account. One other
point should be noted, viz, that by the
new process of extracting oil by s,lu-
tion in naphtha or bcnzine the oil
meals are practically deprived Of all
their fat, and their character is thus
changed very considerably. Upon cX-
amining the above list some of the
foods are seen to be complete in them
selves, while others are found to vary
exceedingly from the standard nutri-
tive ratio. Wheat bran, for instance,
allowing for the difference above men
toned in the value of the oil, is seen to
have ratio of ten of protcine to sixty
of carbohydrates, or one to six, which
is so near the estimated radio as to be
accepted as a normal one. Oats bear a
ratio of one to ten, and barley almost
the same. Peas, on the other hand,
have a ratio of about one to three. If.
therefore, an equal quantity of oats and
peas are ground together The mixture is
equal to two to thirteen, or one to six
and half, which is very near what
is wanted, and when fed with ordi-
nary hay make an excellently well
balanced food, especially for young
animals. just here we might mention
that the so-called calf meals, calf foods
and lamb meal and milk substitutes
which are popular among English
farmers, and deserve to be equally
} popular and useful here, are made up
of mixture of various meals, selected
for their digestibility and for their
healthful nutritive ratio. These are
sold at Il high price as compared with
their cost, the skill and knowledge of
the compounder being charged for as
liberally as the market will bear. By
comparing the ratio of various foods
) in this list with that of milk, which is
one to four and four and half (and
is especially favorable for very young
animals which require a surplus OF
proteine) it is not difficult for any in
telligent farmer to make satisfactory
substitute for milk for himself, and to
rear his calves without depending upon
the cows-a practice of the greatest
value to the dairyman.
As a frightful example of an i'll
balanced food which has called fol
well-deserved animadversion, we may
take distillery slop, the food with
which the so-called swill milk dairies
are supplied. This stuff is seen tc
: have nutritive ratio of about one tC
three, the excess of nitrogen producing
. an iniamed condition of the blood, 8
deficiency of carbon for respiration
and throwing an excessive quantity o.
|, urea into the kidneys. The conse
quences of such feeding can not helI
but be disastrous. The blood is soor
poisoned, the lungs can not supply th'
system with sufficient oxygen to ger
rid of the waste matter in the blood
the whole system is ON fire with fever
and the fatal lung fever which prevails
in these ''hot-beds,' well named anC
Justly abominated as the source of {
most pestilent infection, carries off thu
} cows with great rapidity and infect'
the whole locality with contagion.
3 This subject is worthy OF the closes
5 and most careful study, and the figures
given should be preserved for reference
: as basis for system of feeding tina
. may inure to the profit of the farme
: and the welfare of the stock, one bein,
S inclusive of the other.-N. Y. Times.
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