33S EXPERIMEXTAL FARMS 



5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 



more or less fermentation, leaving the contents-of eacli bag a solid " fire-fanged " mass, 

 with adhesive qualities sufficient to make disintegration almost impossible. The 

 feeding value, palatability, and cdnvenience of molasses meal in such a condition is 

 destroyed. With Molassine meal, some difficulty was met with in obtaining the fresh- 

 mixed product on the open market. This meal in the foregoing experiments and in 

 experiment 5 was not of the best quality. With Caldwell's molasses meal, however, 

 no such trouble was experienced, it being uniformly fresh and sweet wherever pur- 

 chased, and apparently able to retain these qualities indefinitely. To this was likely 

 due the fact that throughout the experim.ents cattle showed a preference for this meal 

 over other meals of like nature. Where purchased in any considerable quantity, the 

 bags containing molasses meals should either be placed on end or piled flat in tiers not 

 more than 3 or 4 deep. 



COMPARISON OF MOLASSES MEALS. 



For the winter of 1913-14, due to the destruction of all machinery and special 

 ai)pliances used in molasses feeding, investigations in this line were necessarily con- 

 fired to a straight comparison of molasses meals. Of these, three were chosen, Cald- 

 well's molasses meal, Molassine meal, and Molascuit. The two first-mentioned have 

 already been used as reported. The latter, however, is a newer meal, and is composed 

 of refuse sugar cane and pulp, ground and dried, mixed with cane feeding molasses. 

 Although it does not impress one at first sight as an attractive or palatable meal, this 

 feature is not apparent in the results, which show little difference in the production for 

 the various feeding periods. 



The operation of these tests was very seriously interfered with by frequent changes 

 in the herd, individuals being removed temporarily and returned, or permanently dis- 

 posed of and replaced by new cows. This was necessitated by crowding and the 

 frequent changing of stock in all quarters due to lack of housing facilities and to 

 other initoward circumstances not under control. In experiment No. 5, therefore, only 

 fiix cows were available, these cows being in good milk flow and in the grade herd under 

 uniform conditions throughout the test. 



In order to give a fair comparison, the results of the tests are compiled in three 

 tables, in each of which the basic Molassine meal is compared with one of the three- 

 meal rations plus Molascuit, plus Caldwell's molasses meal, and less molasses meal 

 constituent. Molasses meal was therefore fed during periods 1 and 3, 3 and 5, and 5 

 and 7. In the intermediate period in each case comparison was possible with the other 

 molasses meals or with the mixture less molasses by averaging the two Molassine meal 

 feeding periods. This is the fairest comparison possible, as it allows for the natural 

 decrease in milk flow. In the case of a direct comparison of two feeding periods, the 

 later is always at a disadvantage, due to the natural falling off in production. 



The preface appearing at the top of the first table contains information applying 

 of course to the two tables following. 



•'o* 



Dairy Cow Feeding Experiment No. 5 — Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa. 



Object of Experiment. — To compare molasses meals (Molassine meal standard). 



Kations. — Period 1, 3, 5, 7: Meal mixture plus Molassine meal. 

 Period 2 : Meal mixture less molasses meal. 

 Period 4 : Meal mixture plus Molascuit. 

 . Period G: Meal mixture plus Caldwell's molasses meal. 



Value of Feeds per ton. — Hay, $7; straw, $4; roots and ensilage, $2; molasses, $23; 

 Caldwell's molasses meal, $32; Molassine meal, $37; Molascuit, $32; regular meal mix- 

 ture, 1.1 cents per pound. 



Orain and Molasses Meal Mixture. — ^Bran, 400 pounds; gluten feed, 200 pounds; 

 nutted oil cake, 200 i)ou]ids; molasses meal (make depending on experiment) 200 

 pounds. 



Ottavi^a. 



