January, 1918 C. U. C. P. ALUMNI J(3URNAL 7 



atmospheres. Incubation of the mixture was allowed to continue for a period of 

 eight days, after which the ammonia was determined. A material increase in the 

 quantity of ammonia formed, over that which would have been formed in the 

 same soil, without the salts, was noted when dihydrog'en phosphate of calcium 

 was present in quantity of i/io of the molecular proportion of the total salts 

 present. When this same salt was present in amounts equalling 8/10, 26% of 

 ammonia was produced. The sulphates alone had no influence. 



New Cattle Foods 



M. Kling-, in Landn'irtsch. Jahrh. f. Bayern, 1916, 6, reports on the use of 

 new foods for cattle, made necessary because of the war. This article is quoted 

 at length in Bull. Ai^ric. Inicll.. 1917, 8, pages 892-899, and the following is in 

 part a presentation of the subject-matter of the article by Kling. 



I. Rhubarb leaves, green: — These leaves contain about 90% of moisture, 

 2.78% of protein, and about 0.40% of fatty matter. The dried leaves are reported 

 to rank equally with the best varieties of hay. 2. Seaweed : — In general this sub- 

 stance contains no protein or fat, or at most only small .quantities of these. It 

 contains however a large quantity of nitrogen free extract and much crude fibre. 

 Its use in the dried, ground form is recommended chiefly as a supplementary food. 

 No foreign odor was detectable in eggs or meat of animals which had been fed 

 with this substance. 3. Concentrated straw fodder: — Straw, when boiled under 

 pressure with an alkaline liquid, is converted into a concentrated, easily digestible 

 food. A mixture of this concentrate with molasses is made and dried. This 

 product contains about 3-55% of protein, in the form of amides, 29% of nitrogen- 

 free extract, and 53% of fibre. In order to supply the deficiency in albumin, dried 

 yeast was added to the fodder. This was later replaced by ground lupin seeds, 

 deprived of their bitter principle. The thus enriched food contains from 6% to 

 10% of protein, 44% to 45% of nitrogen-free extractive, and 28% to 34% of fibre. 

 Experiments demonstrated that this food was suitable for all animals, and fully 

 as nutritious as oats when fed to horses. 4. Heather stalks : — A food containing 

 about 4% of protein, 3% of fat, 45% of nitrogen-free extract and 35% of fibre, is 

 prepared from the leaves, flowers, seeds and fine stalks of heather. Ground 

 Sugar Beet Seeds : — Only seeds which have lost their germinating power are used. 

 These are ground into a coarse powder and contain about ii7c of protein, 4% of 

 fat, and 9'^ of mineral matter. The food value of the mixture is said to be about 

 two-thirds that of wheat bran. Beech nut cake : — Ground beech nuts contain 

 about 18% of protein, 4^0 of fat, 28% of nitrogen- free extract, 19% of fibre, and 

 S.5o7f of mineral matter. In order to disguise the taste of tannin, in which these 

 nuts are very rich, about 5.50% of sodium chloride is added. Walnut cake : — ■ 

 The nuts together with their shells are pressed into a cake which is similar in 

 appearance and value to the beech nut cake, h cake pressed by using only the 

 nuts, thus eliminating the shells, is also used, and possesses obvious advantages. 

 Special foods are used in large number. No less than 6 varieties of food for 

 fattening pigs are described. 



