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"Stock Feeds" — In Bulletin 151 o£ the Wisconsin Experiment Station, 

 Prof. F. W. WoU gives a review of the work of experiment stations with so-called 

 "stock feeds," or " condimental stock feeds." In summing up, Professor Woll 

 says, in part: "The feeding experiments include twenty-three different trials, con- 

 ducted at more than a dozen different experiinent stations, with 993 animals in all; 

 viz., v/ith 78 steers, 81 dairy cows, 604 sheep, 112 pigs, and 117 hens. 



" In going over the evidence presented, we find that only two out of the twenty- 

 three different trials showed the stock feed to possess any merit; the conclusions 

 drawn from the results of the twenty-one trials is to the effect that nothing was 

 gained by including these feeds in the ration fed; in fact they are shown to be 

 a positive detriment in so far that they rendered the rations more expensive and 

 increased the cost of the product obtained whether this be gain in live weight, 

 milk, butter fat, wool or eggs." 



Among the conclusions drawn from investigation work with " stock feeds " 

 are the following: 



" They are of no benefit to healthy animals when fed as directed, either as to 

 increasing the digestibility of the feed eaten or rendering it more effective for the 

 production of meat, milk, wool, etc." 



" They are of no benefit as a cure-all for diseases of the various classes of live 

 stock; neither do they possess any particular merit in case of specific diseases, or 

 for animals out of condition, off feed, etc, since only a small proportion of in- 

 gredients having medicinal value is found therein, the bulk of the feeds consisting 

 of a filler which possesses no medicinal properties whatever." 



" Exorbitant prices are charged for these feeds." 



" By adopting a liberal system of feeding farm animals and furnishing a 

 variety of feeds, good results may be obtained without resorting to stock feeds of 

 any kind. If a farmer believes it is necessary to feed stock feeds at times, he can 

 purchase the ingredients at a drug store and make his own stock feeds at a fraction 

 of the cost charged for them by the manufacturers." 



The following formula? for stock feeds, suggested by two American experi- 

 ment stations, are giveji in the bulletin : 



"1. Ground gentian, 1 pound; ground ginger, V4 pound; powdered saltpetre, 

 Va pound; powdered iron sulphate, 1/4 pound. Mix and give one tablespoonful in 

 feed once daily for ten days, omit for three days, and feed as above for ten days 

 more. Estimated cost, 20 cents per pound. Estimated tonic value, about four 

 times that of most condimental feeds on the market." 



" 2. Fenugreek, 8 pounds ; ginger, 8 pounds ; powdered gentian, 8 pounds ; 

 powdered sulphur, 8 pounds; potassium nitrate, 8 pounds; resin, 8 pounds; 

 cayenne pepper, 4 pounds; flax-seed meal, 44 pounds; powdered charcoal, 20 

 pounds; common salt, 20 pounds; wheat bran 100 pounds." 



This mixture is said to be "so near the average stock feed that neither the 

 farmer nor his stock could tell the difference." Estimated cost, less than $4.42 per 

 hundred pounds. 



" 3. Powdered gentian, 1 pound ; powdered ginger, 1 pound ; fenugreek, 5 

 pounds; common salt, 10 pounds; bran, 50 pounds; oil meal, 50 pounds. 

 Estimated cost $1.50 per hundred pounds. 



Soft Coal, Charcoal, and Tonic Mixture.— Bulletin 150 of the 

 Maryland Experiment Station gives results of a single test with soft coal, charcoal, 

 and tonic mixture, made up as follows : Wood charcoal, 1 pound ; sulphur, 1 pound ; 

 common salt, 2 pojinJs; bread soda, 2 pounds; sodium hyposulphite, 2 pounds; 



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