165 



PA.IIT III. 



FODDERS. 



The desirability of our farmers having information regarding the relative value 

 of cattle foods, as derived from chemical analysis, has led to a continuation of the 

 work commenced and reported upon last year. 



The laboratory investigations of the past season in this connection have been 

 confined almost exclusively to the examination of roots and fodder corn. 



EOOTS. 



Roots form an important ingredient in cattle rations, and are largely grown to 

 supply during the winter months succulent and palatable food. 



In no sense can they be considered concentrated food, for they contain a very 

 large percentage of water, and the "dry matter" is not rich in albuminoids; but 

 owing to their easy and entire digestibility, their succulent nature, and what we may 

 term medicinal properties, they have been found exceedingly valuable for keeping 

 up the milk flow and in preserving a healthy tone to the digestive organs of the 

 cow. The dry matter (or real cattle food) of roots is essentially non-nitrogenous. 

 Their "nutritive ratio," or pi'oportion of digestible albuminoids to digestible non- 

 nitrogenous portion, is wide, and varies from 1 : 8 to 1 : 13. For this reason, together 

 with the fact that the dry matter is only from 170 lbs. to 190 lbs. per ton, roots 

 cannot be fed exclusively. Their useshould be supplemented with a coarse or bulky 

 fodder— for the proper distention of the ruminating apparatus— andalso with a judicious 

 quantity of a concentrated food, such as bran, oil cake or other meal to supph' albu- 

 minoids. In this way a properly balanced and economical ration may be prepared. 



The samples analysed were as follows: — Carrots, 3 varieties; turnips, 2 varieties; 

 mangels, 3 varieties, and of sugar-beets 4 varieties. They were grown on the Central 

 Experimental Farm during 1891. The roots examined were typical examples of fine 

 specimens of each variety. They had been preserved as such, and not selected for 

 analytical purposes. It is generally admitted, and confirmed by analysis, that the 

 increased development in large roots is accompanied by a decrease in the percentage 

 of dry matter — that is, the larger roots are the more watery, as a rule. On this 

 account the percentage of water found in those examined is probably somewhat 

 highei- than it is in the avei-age-size root. Three or more roots of each variety served 

 to furnish the material from which the samples for analysis was taken. 



In my report for 1890 I gave a brief account of the composition, value and 

 function of fodder constituents, to which I would refer the reader for an explanation 

 of the terms used in the following tables : 



Carrots. — Thi-ee leading varieties were analysed, and their comparative value 

 is brought out by the figures that denote the amount of digestible matter per ton in 

 the above table. Though very close, the Ox-heart gave results which show it to be 

 slightly richer in food constituents than the Short White or the Belgian carrots. 



Turnips. — The Purple-top Swede, according to our analyses, is more valuable 

 than the Greystone turnip. 



Mangels. — The Golden Flesh, Golden Tankard and Mammoth Long Red mangels 

 form the next group examined. No great amount of difference in composition is 

 noticeable between these varieties. They are second to carrots in feeding value, 

 weight for weight. 



Sugar-beets. — The interest that has been awakened throughout Ontario and Que- 

 bec lately in the growing of sugar-beets for the purpose of manufacturing sugar has 

 made it advisable to ascertain the value of this crop as fodder, compaied with that 

 of other roots. Analyses of four principal varieties have been made and the results 

 tabulated. They show that sugar-beets are the most nutritious of all roots, contain- 

 ing about one-half more dry matter than carrots, mangels and turnips. Much of this 

 dry matter consists of sugar, easily digested and assimilated, and of considerable 



