124 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



AiuiusT 2, 1902. 



Molasses as a Food for Army Horses. 



(Continued from p. lOS.) 



On A|iril 18 Xo. .T stnnilileil on a stone and stniinod the 

 KUiiortifial Ht-.xor of tliu otl' iorc-, iiecussitating liis leniaining 

 in the stal>le for seven dftys ; during this time lie gained 

 12 B>. in weight. 



On Aju-il 29 a barrel of fermenting molasses was 

 delivered in the evening : on the morning of the 30th this 

 niohisscs wa.s fed at the regular time. As the customary 

 monthly muster was to be held at 7 o'elociv, the usual work 

 was [lostiioned until later, and all the horses turned out for 

 this function ; they behaved in a most scandaIou.s maimer, 

 breaking \\y the ranks, smashing \\\\ things at the i-eviewing 

 point and even dismounting the saddler Sargeant, who was 

 an expert hoi-seman. Query ; Had the fermenting molasses 

 anything tfp do with it I 



('iimmencing with Felauary ■"), it was noted that the 

 fa?c?s were becoming ([uite dry and the animals had difticulty 

 in defecating ; to correct this we had to give a little bran on 

 the 11th, wliicli was partaken of greedily ; it had the desired 

 eiFect ami had to be repeated on an average of every two 

 ■»"eeks. 



TKFAL ON SICK HORSES. 



It was noticed in I'orto Rico that the young horses were 

 those that kept the sick report full all of the time, while 

 Lorses of se\en and o^er were seldom reported ; the trouble 

 ■was usuallv of a digestive nature, with its conse<|uent "out-of- 

 coiiditimi " scratches, skin abrasions, etc. Four of tlie.se cases 

 ■were clironic sii-k rejiort horses and could not be braced with 

 the usual drugs, exce|>t for a few days. On Felauary ."5 all of 

 them were .suddenly deprive<l of their grain and hay and l)Ut 

 on a ration of Gib of molas.ses and 201li of green grass daily. 

 Tliey refused the molasses for two days, but hunger being a 

 fine stimulant to the apiictite, on the moriiiiig of the 6th we 

 •were gratified to see that eveiything had been cleaned up. (No, 

 their teeth were not in jioor c-ondition ; wc were positive of 

 this, as we noted it on the record.) Strange to relate, these 

 animals commenced to pick up ininiediately, and within ten 

 days tliev improved so wiindcrfully that tlieir riders failed to 

 recognize tliem. These horses did their usual trooi> work, 

 ■which was ligiit. .\rter living a month on this ration they 

 were, as suddenly, returned to their hay ami oats. I'.otli of 

 them suffered w itli indigestion for .several days, but otherwi.sc 

 the sudden change was not injurious. We were under the 

 impression that we would certainly lia\c some acute diges- 

 tive disorder on the sudden change from (by t'l green fee<l 

 and molasse.s, but none appeared that i-ou!d be oli.served. 

 We were not suqiri.sed at tlic indigestion on going back to 

 tlie (b-y feed. 



(HiNKKAi, i;i:sui,Ts. 

 All of the lior.ses partaking of the mola.sses, inclnillng 

 the four sick oiie.s, improved in spirit, coat, condition, wind 

 and (lesli, and looked better than any of the other horses in 

 the garrison. Itememlicring that they (the eight) accom- 

 j>li.slied considerably more work and under m<ire unfavourable 

 conilitions, ap[iareiitly, and that they probably received less 

 glooming, the re.sult.s, as observed, are certainly astonishing. 

 We will not go into the relative nutritive (jualities of 

 foods, as we are positive very few of those who peru.se this 

 would care to read it, but 1 will remark that the grass raised 

 on the island of I'orto Rico is verj' innutritiou.s, consisting of 

 little I'lit water and cellulose : as a conscipiencc, the pastured 

 cattle arc large of abdoniin and watciy and stringy of 

 muscle. The ox, which is the draft animal of the country, is 

 fed on the tops of sugar-cane and in many ways has his 

 ration of the innutritions gras.ses added to. 



On ending the experiment the horses were gradually 

 restored to their usual ration of 12tti of oat^ and l+tt> of hay- 

 daily, which they ate greedily. 



So much interest was shown in the experiment that not 

 a single (juestiun was ever asked as to its results, or if 

 mola.s.ses was of any value as a food for horses. As this is 

 the first time the result of the experiment has been j>ut on 

 pa[>er, it may be of some inteiest to veterinarians. We do 

 not claim originality for this ration, it having been in 

 constant u.se on the island of I'orto I'ico from time 

 Immemorial. 



COST. 



.\rniy hors^^s in the West Indies when the regular 

 raticiii is not obtainable, can be subsisted without loss of 

 Hesh or vitality on grass and nmlas.se.s, both of which are 

 cheaj) and easily obtainable. The average jprice per day for 

 the grass and niola.sses rations was l.'i cents, that of the 

 regular ration about 27 cents. The |>rice of molasses depends 

 upim the .season, it being cheapest when the cane is being 

 ground. 



Tliirt3--five pounds iif gra.ss and from 1:^ to l.'ilb. of 

 molasses as a daily allowance are sutticient to maintain a 

 horse of 1,000 11>. weight in good working condition in a 

 climate similar to that of I'orto Pico. 



On this ration animals appear to do more work, condi- 

 tion and coat imin'ove, tliere is less tendency to perspiration, 

 wind decidedl}' iinprove.s, urine increa.ses but .slightlv, bowels 

 have a tendency to constipation, which is easily corrected by 

 feeding of a few pounds of bran at stated intervals. 



Sudden change from dry to this ration is not at all 

 injurious, and does not derange the digestive apjiaratus. On 

 changing to a dry ration it sliouhl be dune graduallv, or 

 .serious conseipiences may arise. 



Mola.sses attracts in.sect.s, notably flies and ants ; it sticks 

 to the aniniars coat, smears his face and breast, halter and 

 halter strap, .soils the clothing and the eijuipment of the men, 

 and cau.ses .some trouble and delay in mixing it with the 

 gras.s, which must be cut tine. It is believeil that molasses 

 ill small (juantities in the United States could be u.sed to 

 good a<lvantage in the treatment of sick horses recovering- 

 from .some <lebilitating disease, also in ca.ses of animals sufter- 

 ing from dy.spepsia where the coat is rough ami skin liar.sh 

 and tight, as well as in horses with chrcinic indigestion that 

 will iKit respond to the usual tonics. 



If molasses as a feed or partial feed be u.sed bv anv of 

 your readers with a therai)eutical object in view, it is Imped 

 he w ill place the result of his oliservations at the dispo.sal of 

 the jjrofe.ssion. 



To Destroy Ants on Lawns. 



\\'e tiuil certain small sjiecies of ants that make their 

 hills in our lawns and garden.s, or in grass-plots and are 

 sometimes decidedly troublesome in such localities. Dr. 

 .loliiL I'l. Smith in Kconomic Entunkohxj}/ (p. 39.J) advises 

 where this occurs there is nothing better for getting rid of 

 them than bisul[iliide of carbon. Pour, he says, a (|uantitv 

 into each of the o[ienings of the disk or hill, closing them up 

 by ste]iping on each as it is treated. The fumes will 

 l>enetrate the chambers in every direction, and if a sutticient 

 amount has been used, will kill not only the adults, but all 

 larvae as well. A single aiiplication is usually all that is 

 necessary : but in a very lari,'e colony it may sometimes 

 hiippeii tliit the farther chambers are not reached bv the 

 fumes, and that the nest rea[)|iears near by ; rarely in the 

 old spot. When that occur.s, a second treatment is tolerably 

 certain to be etteetive. 



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