136 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



but in this case the relative amount of oats was smaller than in that 

 performed at Hohenheim. The amount of albuminoids digested 

 varied between 74.1 and 67.3 per cent. It must, however, be 

 added that the oats used at Holienheira were considerabl}' richer 

 in albuminoids than those used at Dresden. 



Starch. Numerous experiments upon our different kinds of domes- 

 tics animals prove that the addition of starch to crude fodder, pro- 

 viding the quantity of starch introduced into the ration represent at 

 least 10 per cent, of the total weight of the dr}- substance, lowers 

 the digestibility of the albuminoids of the coarse fodders, and in a 

 slight degree that of the h\xlrocarbons therein. When the quantity 

 of starchy substance amounts to 1-7 of the weight of the dr}' fodder, 

 the digestibility of the all)iiminoids decreases 5. per cent. ; if it be 1-6 

 the weight, the digestibilitj^ decreases 10 per cent. ; 1-5 decreases it 

 15 per cent. ; 1-4 decreases it somewhat less than 20 per cent. In 

 fodders containing large quantities of albuminoids, the depressing 

 effect is not so great as in fodder poor in nitrogen. 



The effect of starch upon fodder ma}' be counteracted b}' the 

 addition of some food rich in albuminoids. The effect of sugar is 

 the same as that of starch, but it is less depressing in its effect upon 

 the digestibility of albuminoids. The digestion of the fats and ex- 

 tractive carboh^'drates is not appreciabh' lessened b}' the addition of 

 starch or sugar to a ration, provided the quantit}- added be not too 

 great. It is hardl}' necessar}' to add, that starch is very rarel}^ 

 added to rations in actual practice, but there are many of our agri- 

 cultural root crops that furnish products which contain large quan- 

 tities of starch and sugar ; prominent among these is the potato and 

 beet. 



From a series of experiments made at the Agricultural Station at 

 Hohenheim, it Avould seem that in a mixture of haj' of excellent 

 qualit}- and potatoes or beets, the quantity of digested albuminoids 

 does not decrease, provided the dried potatoes or beets do not form 

 much more than 1-8 of the ration. Potatoes have a more depressive 

 action on the digestibility of the albuminoids than do beets, and it 

 is, therefore, well to avoid in an}- rations an excess of potatoes ; at 

 any rate, the proportion should never be above 1-8 of the total dr}' 

 matter. These foods should be mixed with substances rich in al- 

 Iniminoids, in order to counteract the depressive influence of starch 

 and sugar. 



