ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 467 



ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 



Physiological effect on growth and reproduction of rations balanced from 

 restricted sources, E. B. Hart et al. (Wisconsin Sta. Research Bui. 17, pp. 

 131-205, figs. 24). — A preliminary report on the physiological value of rations 

 for the cow, in which the feeds were limited to a single species of plant. One 

 lot of animals was fed on corn meal, gluten feed, and corn stover ; another lot 

 on ground wheat, wheat gluten, and wheat straw; a third lot was given oat 

 meal and oat straw; while the ration for the fourth group was a mixture of 

 these rations. 



Salt was given to the animals ad libitum, but only 29^ lbs. was used by the 

 oat-fed animals the first year, while the mixture-fed lot consumed a total of 

 377 lbs. in the same period, the wheat-fed lot 143^ lbs., and the corn-fed lot 

 150^ lbs. After the first year there was a tendency toward a more uniform 

 consumption of salt by all the lots, though 2 of the oat-fed heifers still con- 

 tinued to consume small quantities throughout the entire experimental period, 

 which began May 31, 1907, and continued for 3 years. 



As a result of these methods of feeding, the cows fed nutrients from the 

 wheat plant lacked vigor, size, and strength of offspring, and capacity for milk 

 secretion. Those receiving their nutrients from the corn plant were strong 

 and vigorous, in splendid condition all the time, and produced young of great 

 weight and vigor. The animals receiving nutrients from the oat- plant were 

 able to perform all the physiological processes of growth, reproduction, and 

 milk secretion with a certain degree of vigor, but not in the same degree as 

 manifested by the corn-fed animals. 



" Where a mixture of all the above plant materials was used the animals 

 responded to the ration with less vigor than to the corn and oat ration alone, 

 but with more vigor than to the wheat ration. . . . Monotony of diet was not 

 a troublesome factor and is not of such importance in nutrition problems as 

 usually supposed. ... At present we have no solution for the observations 

 made." 



When the wheat-fed animals were changed to the corn ration a marked 

 improvement resulted. The reverse was true when corn-fed animals were 

 taken to the wheat ration. The urines from all animals on all rations were 

 Invariably acid to phenolphthalein. The urines of the wheat-fed animals were 

 acid to litmus; those from the other lots were alkaline or neutral. Correction 

 of this acid reaction by feeding alkaline carbonates did not restore the wheat- 

 fed group to full vigor and proper condition. Allantoin was absent from the 

 urines of this group during the period of growth; during gestation it was 

 present. The degree of oxidation of sulphur in the urines of the several 

 groups was not greatly different. 



The composition and character of the milk fat was in most respects remark- 

 ably constant with the different rations. The only important variant was the 

 high melting point of the fats on the oat ration. There was a decided con- 

 sistency of the distribution of nitrogen in muscle and blood, and in the chemical 

 and physical constants of the carcass fats. 



The starch equivalents of feeding stuffs, W. Goodwin {Jour. Bd. Agr. 

 [London^, 18 (1911), No. 9, pp. 721-735).— A discussion of Kellner's term 

 " starch equivalent " and the method of using it in compounding rations for 

 live stock. 



Commercial feeding stuffs, J. W. Carson and G. S. Fraps (Texas 8ta. Bui. 

 IJfl, pp. 3-97). — A report of the feed control inspection, with analyses of 

 cracked corn, corn chop, milo maize chop, Kafir corn chop, crushed Kafir ecru 



