The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-03-26
Feed and Breed.

1t is only within comparatively few
years that the farmers have been ac-
customed to read about balanced rations,
nutritive ratios, etc, says w. N. Yeoman
in Home and Farm.
Modern study and investigation has
greatly enlarged the fields of knowledge
relating TO the subject of feeding, and to
such an extent that it may be conducted
in a more economical manner.
In the vegetable world plants require
certain nutritive principles that in diff
ferent kinds of plants vary in their rela-
tive proportion, and unless a soil possesses
the nutritive elements in the proportion
required by the crop TO be grown it will
not be a success the nutrition is not COM
plete. So in the animal world, there are
required nutritive principles, which vary
somewhat to the kind of animal, whether
il be a hog, sheep. horse or OK, and also
depending upon the condition of the
animal whether at Dor or at rest.
The important elements of animal nu-
triton are the albuminOids, CarbO-hy-
drates and fat, the cellular tissue serving
in the case of meat stock the natural end
of remas tication
In a general way the experiments that
have been made in this country and in
Europe, in the line of feeding, have been
for the purpose Of determining the ratio
that should be maintained between these
feed elements in order to secure the best
results, and those sought after. If swine
are being fed, then the aim is to secure
such relation of one class of nutritive
elements to the other as will cause an in
crease Of fat; so too, a similar enc must
be aimed at In feeding beef animals-an
accumulation of fat, if mich COWS are
to be fed. the aim is to secure maximum
flow of milk; if the feed is for horses or
oxen at severe labor the feeding is with a
view to the creation Of muscular tissue
that goes to waste during labor
TO form a ration that will serve the
purpose required is called forming a we'll
balanced ration, but in the different cases
the ratios of the carbohydrate TO the
alOuminOlds is different and is called the
nutritive ratio, and unless the ratio is
made to correspond with the require
ments of the case the ration is not we'll
balanced one. Thus it will seem that I'M
less a ration is possessed of the necessary
balance, portion OF the food is liable TO
pass along unappropriated, and be evacu-
ated with the indigestibie matter con-
tanned in the food.
But the question arises, to what extent
the rations that have been determined can
be employed by the great mass of farm
ers. There are few, if any, of the pro
cesses of the farmer that possess the GER
tainty of mathema ties and in the case of
animals, the practical farmer under
stands many points of which the scientific
investigator is ignorant; the determine
ton of food rations is based upon uniform
conditions under the different require
ments :, but the conditions are not
uniform; of half a dozen mich
COWS one may be of such
a nervous and excitable nature that the
food required would be more than a nor
NAL amount, another might be of a very
docile nature and of constitution requir-
ing a minimum amount of food that would
be converted into a bountiful supply of
milk, another might be equally as quiet
but constitutionally heavy feeder re-