Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-12-11
Relative Value Of Food SiuMs.

Never has there been in my recollection.
so much inquiry among farmers in re-
sard TO best methods of feeding az dur
iHS tne past year. L am almost daily re-
celvinS letters requesting information as
TO how certain kinds of grain should be.
red TO secure best results. This is doubt
less caused ny the low price of dairy
products. Until recently. It mattered lit
Tie how we fed. as there would always be
soou margin between the market price
OF iced stuifs and the receipt for dairy
products. But of late, feeders find that
me time or haphazard feeding Is past,
and that they must figure expenses rather
closely II the balance is to come out on
the right side of the ledger
IL seems to me that the market prices
OF our food stuffs are not always based
upon their real feeding value. and that
farmers could often secure larger profits
II they would carefully study the compost
ton of the different kinds of feed IL is
now generally understood by intelligent
farmers that a COW must have about -
pounds Of food per day. containing %
pounds of dry matter. which should have
two pounds of digestihle protein l.;
pounds carbohydrates and 0.C pounds OF
fat: Since the nutrients known as carbo-
hydrateS ana Fat are found in abundance
in such cheap food as stover, fodder corn
and straw. that part OF the ration can bt-
furnished without difficulty: but with the
protein il is different and thu. real prac-
teal question Is, how can the ration f.-
made to furnish the right quantity Of
protein, and at the same time have Il
cheap. Under present conditions | would
say, feed bran and shorts. But the uni
versal answer Is Bran is too iight-it
will not make rich milk Feeders for
meat especially are prejudiced against
bran. While this Is not in my line yet |
believe that a dollars worth of bran will
grow more and better meat than a dol
lars worth of corn. In giving expression
to this belief: | wish it distinctly under
stood that have reference to Minnesota
conditions only.
During the past two months bran much
of the time. has been quoted from si.225
to 81 per ton. and much has been and Is
being used for fuel. II the feeding value
stood it certainly would not go begging
at such prices when corn and barley can
be sold Tor l6 to 70 cents AT local stations.
Our winters supply of bran was pur-
chased in August when il was quoted at
$3.50 per ton believing at the time that
there would be no further decline: but
soon after contracting for it.bran dropped
to S325 III Minneapolis. and many of ;he
country mills found bran accommodating
at $, per ton. While hard times may
have been the chief cause of farmers re-
fusing 10 buy bran at such figures. yet
were better understood. they would have
sold other grains and bought more freely
OF these more valuable by-products
In order that | might impress this mat
ter more clearly and strongly upon the
minds of our students at the school OF
agriculture and dairy school. and more
readily compound economical rations for
dairy stock in the course of lectures |
am giving to creamery patrons. | have
prepared table giving the comparative
value of different feed stuffs based upon
the percentage of digestible protein with
bran as a basis selling at a given price.
for grain; and with timothy hay as a
basis for coarse folders