50 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



4 4 GEORGE V., A. 1914 



FODDERS AND FEEDING STUFFS. 



These, for the most part, comprise the milling by-products and manufactured, 

 feeds used in experimental work with stock on the Central Farm, Ottawa. The list, 

 however, contains a number of materials of feeding - value sent in by farmers but not 

 tning within the jurisdiction of the Inland Revenue Department, the branch of the 

 Government service undertaking the official analysis of feeding stuffs on the market. 

 The list comprises middlings, shorts, feed flour, and mixed meals from oats and 

 barley, of bean and rice meals, of molasses feeds of various kinds, dried grains from 

 the brewery and distillery, tankage, etc.,' etc. 



The composition of feeds is a matter well worthy of study by farmers and dairy- 

 men, and especially so in these days of high prices. There are many concentrates on 

 the market that, with judicious feeding, can give good value, and not neces- 



sarily low-prn els — indeed they are more fi ly those bringing a good figure 



per ton but which, nevertheless, are worth it by reason of their high protein and fat- 

 content. There are also many inferior feeds which may almost be said to be dear at 

 any price. Such, for instance, are many of the oat feeds, largely made of the refuse 

 from oatmeal and cereal food mills, which contain little protein and fat and are over- 

 loaded with ii ' tble fibre which is not only -ses the value of ( 

 other nutrients. These feed-, possibly largely oat hulls, find buyers at $10 to $15 per 

 ton, when bran is selling for not more than $20. There is no economy in such prac- 

 tice. Again, there are certain manufactured feeds against which no complaint can 

 be raised as to wholesomeness, but for which extravagant claims are made and extra- 

 vagant prices are charged. In this class are some of the molasi tin 

 brands of which are sold much above their value, when their prices are compare! with 

 staple milling products. The price of the feed is not an infallible guide to its nutri- 

 tive value, and the purchaser, when not familiar with the material, would do well to 

 look for the guarantee as to protein and fat-content. 



THE RELATIVE VAL1 [ELD ROOTS. 



Twenty-three varieties of mangels, grown on the Central Farm, were submit: ' 



to analysis, and very considerable differences in nutritive value were noticed. In dry 



tter, they ranged from 13-38 per cent to 7-87 at and in sugar, from 0-15 per 



i to 4-75 per cent. The sugar mangels, the Mammoth Long id the Giant 



Yellow Intermediate, headed the list, the poorer members- of the- series comprising 



■rai varieties of the Yellow Globe mangel. Though not an invariable rule, thi 

 containing the larger percentages of dry matter were the richer in sugar, the chief 

 constituent of value from the nutritive standpoint. The averages for the whole series 

 were 9-51 per cent dry matter and 6-43 per cent sugar. 



Two well-known and typical varieties, Gate Post and Giant Yellow, grown side 

 by side at Ottawa annually for 13 years, have been analyzed to ascertain the influence 

 of heredity on composition. Though the differences between them have not been 

 constant throughout this period, the Gate Post has invariably proved the superior 

 root. The averages for the experimental period are: Gate Post, dry matter, 11-53 per 

 cent, sugar, 6-16 per cent; for the Giant Yellow Globe, dry matter, 9-52 per cent, 

 sugar, 4-56 per cent, 



Nineteen varieties of turnips were submitted to analysis. Considerable differences 

 as regards dry matte/ were found, as in the case of mangels, but the sugar-content 

 was fairly constant. Turnips, as a class, are not so rich in dry matter as are mangels, 

 and possess a much lower sugar-content. The best turnip in the series was Carter's 

 Prize Winner, with 10-55 per cent dry matter and 1-25 sugar, closely followed by 

 Hartley's Bronze Top, Kangaroo and Best of All. The limits for the series in dry 

 matter were 10-55 per cent and 5-85 per cent, and the average 8-05 per cent. 



