DIYISIOX OF CHEMISTRY 223 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



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 Cen- 

 tral Farm, Ottawa; the list, however, contains a number of materials of feeding 

 value sent in by farmers but not coming 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 

 llour and mixed meals from oats and barley, bean and rice meals, 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 these are not 

 necessarily low-priced goods — indeed they are more frequently 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 oat meal and cereal food mills, which contain little protein and fat and 

 are overloaded with indigestible fibre which is not only useless but depresses thy 

 value of the other nutrients. These feeds, possibly largely oat hulls, find buyers at 

 $10 to $15 per ton when bran is selling at not more than $20. There is no economy 

 in such practice. Again, there are certain manufactured feeds against which no 

 complaint could be raised as to wholesomeness, but for which extravagant claims are 

 made and extravagant prices are charged. In this class are some of the molasses 

 feeds, certain brands of which are sold much above their value, when their prices are 

 compared with staple milling products. The price of the feed is not an infallible 

 guide to its nutritive 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 relaUve value of field roots. — Twenty-three varieties of mangels, grown on 

 the Central Farm, were submitted to analysis, and very considerable differences in 

 nutritive value were noticed. In dry matter they ranged from 13-38 per cent to 7-87 

 per cent, and in sugar from 9-15 per cent to 4-75 per cent. The Sugar mangels, the 

 Mammoth Long Red, and the Giant Yellow Intermediate headed the list; the poorer 

 members of the series comprised several varieties of the Yellow Globe mangel.s. 

 Though not an invariable rule, those containing the larger percentages of dry mat- 

 ter were the richer in sugar, the chief constituent of value from the nutritive stand- 

 point. 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 Globe, grown 

 side by side at Ottawa annually for thirteen 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 differ- 

 ences as regards dry matter 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 

 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 1-23 per cent 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 



8-65 per cent. 



Carrots, judging from their composition, are intermediate in food value between 

 mangels and turnips. Six of the prominent varieties were analyzed and the differ- 



