No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 566 



three parts of salt. Where potato slump is fed, wood-ashes and 

 copperas according to the Russian practice. For swine, the Eng- 

 lish mixture of salt, charcoal, sulphur and coarse coal-ashes. 



Allusion has already been made to the value of lime phosphate 

 and carbonate and of iron compounds in the diet of young animals 

 and laying hens, so that further mention of such use is not necessary 

 at this point. Some of the calf meals, too, have special virtues that 

 justify their use at present selling prices. 



In the third place, what is the cost of the raw materials of these 

 foods as compared with their selling prices? 



One poultry food analyzed by the writer could be duplicated by 

 mixing air-slaked lime and Venetian red at a cost of not more than 

 one cent per pound; the retail selling price was |1.00 per pound. 



The wholesale prices per pound of the drugs most frequently used 

 in these mixtures are: 



Cents. 



Anise seed, German, 5^-5^ 



Assafoetida, 19-22 



Cayenne pepper, 



Copperas, ^ 



Epsom salts. 4 



Fennel, Italian, 5-5:^ 



Fenugreek, 2|- 2| 



Gentian, 4-4^ 



Ginger, African, 5-6 



Glauber's salts, ^ 



Juniper berries, 1^-2 



Mustard, yellow, 2^- 4| 



Pepper, 11^-18 



Sulphur, flowers, 2 1-5- 2^ 



That is, a mixture composed of equal parts of cereals, linseed 

 meal, mixed salts, sulphur and charcoal and mixed aromatics, might 

 cost before grinding and packing, 2-| cents per pound; it would be 

 offered for sale at from 9 cents to fl.OO per pound. 



More frequentlj^ the more expensive aromatic materials form a 

 smaller proportion of the entire mixture. Why should one pay such 

 extravagant prices for these haphazard mixtures of common ma- 

 terials? 



To conclude, respecting these foods: The well do not need them, the 

 sick need something else, the farmer can make his own condimental 

 mixture far more cheaply than he can buy most of the market 

 preparations. 



