The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-06-06
SEoCE
A FEW FIRST PRINCIPLES IN
FEEDING.

Scientists divide the nuGrlmenG OF
foods into three classes according to
the uses they serve in the animal sys
tenn. The first of these is the protein,
by which they mean those elements OF
the plant foods that are used in the
animal system to make blood, muscle,
hair, hide, etc. in other words, which
are used to build up the frame, not in
Guiding the bony structure. They are
otherwise called the heterogeneous or al
luminous elements.
The second are those parts Of food
used TO keep up the animal heat, the
fuel elements so to speak, and which
when given in excess are stored away
in the system as fat for future use.
These are called carbohydrates and
fats, a pound of vegetable fat being
equivalent for heating purposes to Q 2
pounds of carbohydrates.
The third is known as-ash, that which
is left of the plant after it is thoroughly
burnt and which is used by the animal
to build up the bony structure.
1t should be particularly noted that
the protein or albuminous elements Of
the grains and grassts a be used for
fuel and are thus used when fed in ex
cess; an economic waste because these
are always high in price, while neither
the carbohydrates nor fat can under
any circumstances be used for the de.
velopment of muscular tissue. The
dog can live and thrive on lean meat
alone, burning it instead Of fat to keep
up the heat, but he will die if fed on
carbohydrates or fats alone, no matter
in what abundance they may be sup
piled. Neither the protein nor the car
bohydrates can develop bone, while
no animal can live on the ash alone.
1t is very important to keep these fac's
constantly in mind.
These three class3s Of substances
vary very greatly in different periods
of their life history as to their require
ments of these different elements In or
der to insure perfect health. For ex
ample alfalfa and clover hay. bran,
oil meal, and cotton seed meal have
the albuminoids or the protein largely
in excess, while corn fodder, all the
straws, corn, and the sorghums ell
have a super abundance OF fuel ele-
ments, oats being the most nearly bal
anced of all our feed grains.
In a general way it may be said that
the dairy COW and gro wing calf, colt,
or lamb, and the horse hard al work
require much the same ration, while
the fattening steer, pig, lamb, and the
horse at rest require q similar ration
Speaking generally, therefore, the
classes first named should be ted on
clover, oat meal, mixed grasses, oats,
bran, and oil meal. The horse in IDLE
ness a get along very we'll with ats
straw and corn, while at work he needs
clover pasture and oats. Corn is evil
IDENTIFY indicated for the bulk OF the
ration Of any kind of stock that it is
intended to finish for the market,
horses included.
Let us see now what happens when
the farmer violates these principles.
He is trying to get ome money out of
his COWS during the winter season. A
COW weighing a thousand pounds re
quires daily about 2 5 pounds CT pro
tein, II 5 pounds of carbohy drates, and
0 4 of a pound Of fat. There Is ash
enough i'll almost any kind Of ration,
therefore We leave that out of consid
Grafton. He feeds her % pounds of
corn fodder, which contains ] pound OF
digestible protein, s 3 pounds of digest
ible carbohydrates, and .15 of a pound
OF dige> tible fat. He enriches this c IN
fodder with 10 pounds of corn, which
contains on an average rs pounds of
protein, 6 81 pounds of carbohydrates.
and .43 pounds Of fat, or a total of l %
pounds of protein as against the needed
2 5, IA 81 pounds OF carbohydrates
which is about 2 5 more than is neces
sary, and So pounds of fat which ia
about .18 more than the animal re
quires. He is disa p)inted that he
does not receive enough milk 80 he
proceeds to double the amount Of corn,
This gives him 1 O6 pounds of protein,
still not enough, 81 "a pounds of car.
bohydrates which is nearly twice as
much as needed, and 1 Oh pounds of
fat which is far in excess of what The