70 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



APPLES AS FOOD FOR ANIMALS. 



BY DE. JAMES E. NICHOLS. 



The enormous crop of apples the past season has awak- 

 ened much mquiry with regard to their food-value for ani- 

 mals, — cows, pigs, horses, etc.; and many statements have 

 been made in the papers which are erroneous, and calculated 

 to lead farmers and others astray upon the subject. We 

 could not find at hand any reliable analysis of the fruit of 

 the varieties such as are raised largely in our Northern States ; 

 and this circumstance determined us to make analysis of 

 several prominent kinds, as the Tolman's Sweets, Hubbard- 

 ston Nonesuch, and Baldwins. The apples selected were 

 in different stages of ripeness, the Ilubbardston being more 

 advanced than the others. Very important modifications 

 are produced by the chemical changes in apples as they' 

 approach the stage of maturity, or the period when they 

 become mellow, and ready for the table. The amount of 

 sugar increases, and the hydrated malic acid decreases, or 

 disappears altogether in some fruits. The cell-walls of the 

 structure become softened, and readily break down ; oxida- 

 tion begins at any point where imperfection or abrasions 

 in the skin occur. The amount of nutritive material is to 

 some extent increased in ripe apples, and they are much 

 more easily digested and assimilated by men and animals. 



The results of the analysis were as follows : — 



IIUBBARDSTONS. 



Water 88.57 



Albuminoids, pectose gum, and sugar . . . 11.27 

 Ash 16 



100.00 



tolman's sweets. 



Water 83.29 



Albuminoids, sugar, pectose gum, etc. . . . 16.54 

 Ash 17 



100.00 



