474 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



\v:is ,"..(!S <;iii. Iliou.^li llic sliiuulilt'i' Icsl slidwcd the ;ic(u:il LCniii ill nil ro^icii In 1k' 

 <nily l.in fiiii. diiily. Kni- X<is. ."i mid ('> tlu' diflVrcncc \v:is not so larji;'. 1i:c 

 avorage daily available iiitrof^on pcfl- head aeeordiiij? to (bo nitrogen balance 

 being o.4.S gni. while the slaughter test showed an average daily gain in nitrogen 

 of l.(!l gni. per hea*!. The heart, liver, lungs, and l^idney wei'e much bcavicM- in 

 the animals fed the narrow ration. 



On cellulose digestion in domestic animals, A. Scukunickt and E. Lorscil 

 (linlin. Ticriirztl. Wclnischr.. ..^7 {l!)0!l). Ao.v. .'/.7, lip. 82(;^H2<) ; //T, ;;/). 8o7- 

 S6U). — A review of recent investigations on this subject, together with a report 

 of an experiment with dogs which indicates that cellulose is not digested by 

 tlHMii. It is pointed out that previous experiments yielding affirmative results 

 were obtained by using defective methods for determining the cellulose content. 



The disappearance of pentosans from the digestive tract of the cow, E. V. 

 McCoLLUM and W. A. Brannon {Jour. Amcr. Cliem. aSoc, 31 (1909), No. It, pp. 

 1252-126.0) . — This is a rei)ort of a preliminary series of exjieriments on the rela- 

 tive ease with which the pentosans from different plants disappear from the 

 digestive tract of an animal and on the behavior of the methyl pentosans during 

 digestion. 



Bovines were used as they are the most efficient of all animals for utilizing 

 coarse feeding stuffs. The animals used in these experiments were grade Dur- 

 hams, purchased when calves, and weighing about 350 lbs. each. They were 

 placed upon rations derived from a single plant source, the same individuals 

 being used in both series of exi)eriments. When the collections of excreta were 

 made for analysis the animals had been on their resiiective rations for a period 

 of about 9 months. This gave abundant time for the development of sjiecial 

 flora in their digestive tracts in case certain varieties of organisms found a 

 more suitable food supply in one case than in another. 



The pentosan content was determined by converting the pentosans into fur- 

 furol by the official method. The nutritive ratios and calorific values were made 

 alike in the different rations to reduce the influence of varying amounts of pi-o- 

 tein. So small an amount of pentose sugars was found in the urine that this 

 factor was disregarded. The pentosans of the corn plant were found present 

 in a form which is less resistant than those of wheat and oats. The methyl 

 jientosans disappeared in greater amount than did the simple pentosans. The 

 following table shows the results obtainetl with the diilerent rations: 



Disappcardiicr of itciito-sinis in the diffcstirc tract of hori'ncs. 



In order to determine the action of the bacteria in the intestinal tract of the 

 cow in these experiments, a series of fermentations was carried on for 14 days 

 with corn fodder, wheat straw, and oat straw. The behavior of the pentosans 



