36 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



]>:u';itus of Inlcst ]>attern ainl used in the best faclories. Many came 

 Iroiii a distaiite; all worke<l witli eiillmsiasiii, and expressed themselves 

 lis jii-eatly jdeased and heneliled 1>\ their eoui'se in the beet sn<;ar class. 



In this instruction of the class in sugar beets valuable assistance was 

 atVorded by Mr. A. N. Clark, and we take pleasure in acknowledging his 

 timely aid. 



It is a gratification to know that not only can the College promote a 

 great industry in our State, but can furnish a portion of the scientific 

 equipment to carry it on. 



The department has also received valuable help from Miss T. A. Bris- 

 tol, B. S., and from the following students: C. H, Hilton, H. S. Reed 

 and L. G. Michael. 



THE VALUATION OF CATTLE FOODS. 



The large consum])tion of by-products of mills and factories to re- 

 inforc(» the fodders of the farm in stock feeding, makes it desirable to 

 determine the real value of these commercial products. In some states 

 this is systematically done, the composition is branded upon every pack- 

 age offered for sale, and the stockman has some assurance of the value 

 of the material he buys. 



It is a maxim in finance that the cheaper metal passing as currency 

 will supplant the dearer metal. This law is not confined to coined 

 metals. Wherever a cheap material may be successfully substituted for 

 a more valuable one, the cheap material will drive out the more costly, 

 unless the cheat is exposed in some convincing way. It was so in the 

 fertilizer trade in Michigan prior to 1885. Fertilizers of little or no 

 value, under a variety of catch names, were poured in upon us from 

 surrounding states. When the fertilizer law of 1885 was enacted and 

 enforced, the spurious materials soon disappeared from our markets 

 and good fertilizers took their place. 



A similar condition has arisen in regard to cattle foods, which have 

 become commercial articles. Formerlv thev consisted mainlv of wheat 

 bran, ''ground feed" (corn and oats), and oil meal. A large number of 

 other products are now upon the market, of widely A'ar^ing value. Many 

 have been sent to this laboratory for analysis. Tw^o classes of these 

 "feed stuffs" are here quoted to show their comparative feeding value, 

 as determined l)y analysis, without any corresponding variation in the 

 price. The value is measured by the quantity of crude protein (nitro- 

 genous food material) they contain. 



President T. F. Marston sent two kinds of buckwheat bran for analy- 

 sis, which had the following amount of the most valuable food material: 



Coarse buckwheat bran had 24.80 per cent of crude protein. 



Fine buckwhat bran had 34.0G ptn' cent of crude protein. 



Both kinds bore the same price, while the fine bran had nearly one- 

 third more value. 



Specimens of ground oat hulls, found in the oi)en market, and closely 

 resembling each other in appearance, gave the following results: 



Ground oat hulls from Iowa had 6.61 per cent crude protein. 



Ground oat hulls from Detroit had 15.58 per cent crude protein. 



Both sold at the same price, though one had more than twice the 

 feeding value of the other. 



These are only a few^ samples out of many found in the market, and 

 suggest the need of a law for the analysis, license and branding of com- 



