Vol. X. No. 240. 



THK AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



211 



SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



MOLASSES AS FOOD FOR STOCK. 



The use of molasses as a food for stock has existed for 

 many years, and in earlier times the general method for 

 for feeding it was to mix the molasse.s, either raw or diluted, 

 with the ration for the stock. In late years, however, con- 

 tinually increasing attention has been given to the making of 

 proprietary articles, in which the molasses is absorbed by 

 being mixed with a medium, which may or may not posse.ss 

 a nutritive value in itself. In relation to the employment of 

 molasses in these ways, a useful article apjiears in the Journal 

 of the Board uf Agriculture, Vol. XVIII, p. 97. It is first 

 pointed out, in this, that the great develo|iment in England 

 of the employment of molasses for the feeding of animals has 

 taken place during the last twenty-five years, and that the 

 reason for this has been largely due to the growth of beet 

 sugar manufacture in Europe. Even before this, molasses 

 had been used in certain parts of England for the purpose of 

 fattening cattle, but the frequent rises in price prevented the 

 demand from being continuou.s. 



Proceeding, the article gives a comparison of the molasses 

 from l)eet and cane sugar, pointing out that these are almost 

 identical, both in appearance and pfiysical properties, although 

 the colour of the former is usually a little darker than that 

 of cane molasses, while the latter possesses a more pleasant 

 smell. It is well recognized that the improved methods of 

 manufacture that have been adopted for both beet and cane 

 sugar have caitsed the sugar content of the molasses that is 

 produced nowadays to be lower than that of the product which 

 was obtainable formerly. In comparing the amounts of 

 carbohydrates (chiefly sugar) in the two kinds, it is usually 

 found that these are about the same; this statement, of 

 course, refers to vacuum pan molasses, and not to that pro- 

 duced in the muscovado process. An average analysis of 

 beet molasses is given in the article; this may De usefully 

 presented here, and is as follows: — 



Per cent. 

 Nitrogen-free extract (chiefly sugars) 60-.5 



Crude protein 103 



Ash 7-2 



Water 21-5 



The composition of molasses from ditferent sources natur- 

 ally varies from that which has just been given. The varia- 

 tion is mainly due to differences in the amount of water con- 

 tained in the product; the calculation of the composition of 

 most kinds of molasses, on the dry matter, gives remarkably 

 constant figures as regards the sugar content. 



Since September 1, 1903, the duty of Is. per cwt., on 

 imports of molasses into the United Kingdom, has been 

 removed, in the case where the product is intended to be used 

 solely as stock food or in the manufacture of cattle food. 

 This circumstance has enabled cane molasses to compete more 

 favourably with that from beet, especially as buyers prefer 

 the former to the latter, for feeding purposes. 



In regard to the value of sugar as food, attention is 

 drawn to the fact that the conclusion reached in 185-5, by 

 Lawes and Gilbert, namely that this is about equal to the 

 similar value of starch, has been virtually upheld by the 

 results of recent work. Kellner, however, has conducted 

 investigations which lead him to conclude that, for fat pro- 

 duction, sugar has a .smaller value than starch, the reason 

 being that there is more loss in the case of sugar than with 

 starch through fermentation in the digestive tract. 



With reference to the nitrogen-containing substances in 



molasses, it is important to remember that these are not all 

 present as proteids or albuminoids such as those provided by 

 bean and other cakes. They belong to the class of substances 

 known as amides, whose food value is far inferior to that of 

 the proteids. Modern investigations have, however, shown 

 that amides, in passing through the wall of the intestine, 

 may be converted into proteids, so that in the case of healthy 

 animals, these possess a certain feeding value. The chief 

 point to remember is that, in calculating the feeding value of 

 a .sample of molasses whose composition is given, that of the 

 nitrogenous bodies in it cannot be found by multiplying the 

 percentage of nitrogen by the usual factor (6'25), and expres- 

 sing the result as proteids, for the nitrogen is not present to any 

 extent in the form of such bodies, but as has been stated, in that 

 of amides. In considering the presence of amides in molasses, 

 attention must be given to the possession of properties by 

 them which cause the molasses to possess a laxative action. 

 Notice must also be taken of the fact that the alkaline salts 

 in mola.sses, particularly in beet molasses, serve as irritants 

 to the kidneys, with the effects that may be expected from 

 them. The question of the fats in molasses may be dismiss- 

 ed, from the consideration that these are entirety ab.sent, or 

 present in such small quantities that they cannot possess any 

 calculable nutritive action. 



In choosing moIa.sses for stock-feeding, some of the 

 greatest importance is to be attached to the percentage of 

 water, particularly as, when the molas.ses is being bought on 

 a declared analysi-s, the latter is frequently misleading in this 

 respect. One of the reasons why molasses bought in Europe 

 is likely to contain a comparatively high percentage of water 

 is that it has probably, as a matter of convenience, being made 

 more fluid liy blowing steam through it. The food value of 

 such molasses in inferior, and it is very likely to ferment 

 and become useless for the purpose for which it is required. 

 The article refers to the fact that there is ample proof 

 that in moderate quantities molasses is a useful and econo- 

 mical food for all classes of larger stock. It is necessary, 

 however, to give proper attention to the fact that the feeding 

 of large quantities of molasses, even where the laxative effect 

 does not become great, is likely to be uneconomical, on 

 account of the reduction of the digestibility of the other 

 ■ foods, through the presence of large amounts of sugar. In 

 referring to the actual use of raw molasses for feeding stock, 

 the article gives a hint for reducing theft by attendants; this 

 consists in mixing the molasses with a little coal-dust — 

 a method that may be more effective in England than in the 

 AVest Indies. 



The somewhat objectionable nature of molasses, owing to 

 its sticky properties, and the cost of the package to contain 

 a liquid substance, has led to the invention of various mix- 

 tures in which the molasses is absorbed into a solid medium. 

 Among substances used for the purpose are: (1) palm oil and 

 cocoa-nut oil meal from which the oil has been extracted ; 

 (2) offals from corn and wheat milling; (3) dried peat; 

 (4) fibrous substances such as megass, ground nut shells and 

 crude cellulose. It is important to remember that it is only 

 in the case of the first two kinds of bodies that the solid 

 medium can po.ssess any useful nutritive value; in the case of 

 peat and fibres, that of the molasses is likely to be actually 

 lowered, owing to their enabling a certain proportion of it to 

 pass through the digestive system in an unaltered condition. 

 Finally, these mixtures do not take account of those in which 

 molasses is used as a binding ingredient in compound cakes, 

 and for increasing their palatability. Even in the case of 

 these, caution is required, as the molasses may have beea 

 actually added for the jiurpose of disguising the taste of soae 

 unpalatable bodies in the cake. 



