Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-04-16

very handy when he has need of it.
We can find in nature a good
illustration of reserve force. We are
hearing much nowadays of saving the
forest to save our rivers; the
mountains being covered with forests
keep the hot rays of the sun from
absorbing the moisture, and, retain
ing the water, allowing il to come out
in springs and feed the river in dry
times. We can learn much Of value
from nature if we will only think and
study her laws, and we would do we'll
to learn this lesson Of reserve. We
cannot be too careful and exact
financierS.
Ratons for Farm Animals.
The farmers OF the present day
are becoming great readers of farm
journals. They read of and practice
much that was quite unfamiliar to
farmers 40 or so years ago. At that
time scientists were just beginning
to study the important subject of
feeding standards and balanced
ratiOns for farm animals, on modern
lines, The subject is not particularly
simple and easy, and its brief ex-
position, according to the best
authorities, may be of service, says
the Connecticut farmer. For con-
Venience, the various substances
found in animal bodies may be
grouped under four heads,-water,
ash, or minced matter, fat and nitro
genOus matter, or protein. Water is
an essential constituent Of the
animal body, and constitutes from 50
to SO per cent. of it's live weight
From 2 to ) per cent. is ash, which
occurs mainly in the bones. The
proportion of fat may vary from TO
80 per cent. All the substances con
tanning nitrogen are classed as
protein, and they constitute an i'm
pOrtant group, of which hooked lean
meat and the white of egg may be
taken as types. They contain about
16 per cent. of nOtrogen, and are the
only class into the composition of
which this element enters. All the
working machinery of the body
flesh skin, bones, hair, internal or
CANS, brain and nerves, contain a
large proportion Of protein.
The same four groups of substances
just named as constituents of animal
bodies are also found in the food Of
animals, and in addition the food of
herbivorous animals contains a class
called carbohydrates. All foOdstuffs,
however dry they may appear, contain
a considerable amount of water. In
grains and dried folders it ranges
from to Is per cent of the material;
in green forage and silage it is about
80 per cent. while in some roots it
amounts to 80 per cent. While water
is essential to animal life, computa-
tion of the value of food materials
are based upon the water-free or dry
matter. The residue, when a food
stuff is burned till the organic matter
is all driven off, is the ash. 1t is COM
posed largely of lime magnesia,
potash, iron, chlorine and carbOnic,
sulphuric and phosphoric acids. The
group of fats includes the materials
which may be dissolved from a feed
/ ing stuff by others. 1t includes, he
sides the true fats, wax and coloring
matter. Fat in the food may be
either stored in the body as fat, or
! burned to produce heat and energy.
The term carbohydrates includes
two groups, nitrOgen-free extract,
such as starch, sugar and gum, and
fiber, or the woody part of plants.
The former are quite freely digested,
the latter much less so. Carbohy-
drates constitute the largest part of
vegetable foods. They serve nearly
the same purpose in the animal
, economy, but fat is about PA times
as effective as a food as are the car
bohy drates. The protein of foods,
like that of the animal body, is char
acterized by containing nitrogen. and
is therefore frequently designated
as heterogeneous matter. Sometimes
the term albuminOids is used to
designate this group, or certain
class Of protein substances. The
function of protein in food is to
build up and repair the working
machinery of the body. Protein is
necessary for the production of milk
and wool. No other food constituent
can fulfil this function. The nu-
tritive ratio means the relation of
digestible protein to digestible car
bohy drates and fat, and the right
combination of these nutrients in
food stuff forms the desirable ration,
The amount of nutrients required,
and the proportion in which each
should be given, vary with the kind of
animal, and the purpose for which it
is kept, and whether it is growing,
being fattened, doing work or projuc-
ing milk or wool An animal at rest
requires less food than one at work.
and the various nutrients III different
proportions. A COW yielding milk re-
quires more food, and the nutrients
differently balanced, than in the ra-
ton Of one not producing milk