30 



been excellent, and cases of acute indigestion or spasmodic colic very 

 rare, although formerly quite frequent. The molasses ration was 

 decided upon after its value had been demonstrated in a test with two 

 horses. A ration similar to the above was also fed with success to a 

 number of driving horses. 



In general, no disturbance was observed in changing from an ordi- 

 nary to a molasses ration. As part of a mixed ration, the author 

 calculates that 1 quart of molasses will replace 3 to -i quarts of oats of 

 good qualit}'. He believes that " molasses of a good quality is a most 

 nutritious food for horses, easily digested and assimilated, and will in 

 many cases correct faulty digestive processes," and that " molasses- 

 fed horses will do fully as much work and at the same time remain, as 

 a rule, in much better general condition than animals fed on dry food, 

 while the cost of feeding is reduced from 25 to 33 per cent." 



As an outgrowth of this work Dr. Berns states that molasses has 

 been successfully fed, under his direction, to 2,500 or 3,000 horses. 



The value of beet-sugar molasses as a part of a ration for horses and 

 other farm animals was tested several years ago by Dickson and Mal- 

 peaux '^ in France. The test with horses was made with four animals fed 

 a total ration of 15.4 pounds of oats, 11 pounds of alfalfa hay, and 

 11 pounds of wheat straw. Molasses was graduall}" substituted for 

 part of the oats, until 13.2 pounds of the latter and 2 of the former 

 were fed. The molasses was mixed with the drinking water. The 

 feeding was continued for about six weeks, and all the horses gained 

 slightly in weight. The authors regard the substitution of molasses 

 for part of the oats as entirely satisfactor}^ since it was readily eaten 

 and the vigor and weight of the horses were maintained. 



Grandeau * has very recently described a number of practical tests 

 in which molasses mixtures were added to the rations of horses. The 

 cost of the ration was diminished and the health and condition of the 

 animals maintained. Similar results have been reported b}" other 

 investigators in France and by Wibbens^ in Holland. From all these 

 investigations it seems fair to conclude that molasses can be safely 

 fed to horses when its cost in comparison with other feeding stuffs 

 warrants its use. Apart from the nutritive material it supplies, it has 

 a value as an appetizer and frequently renders poor hay or other feed 

 more palatable. 



The feeding value of blood molasses (a mixed feed containing dried 

 blood and beet-sugar molasses) was studied in Denmark'' with 23 

 horses belonging to a Copenhagen milk company. The horses were 

 divided into two lots. One lot was fed a ration of barley and oats 1 :2 



«Ann. Agron., 24 (1898), p. 353. 



6 Jour. Agr. Prat., n. ser., 4 (1902), pp. 569, 599, 697. 



cCultura, 14 (1902), p. 520. 



fi^Landmandsblade, 32 (1899), p. 349. 



