ANTMAL PRODUCTION. 60)3 



(•aii»()li.v(li';itcs !)T.l prr cciil, and \\\v availaljlc energy S^^A per cent. With the 

 secoiul subject, llic coellicieiils of digestibility were, iiroteiii i!!)..! per eeiit. fat 

 71.9 per cent, and carbohydrates 98.G per cent, while the available energy was 

 ;)2.2 per cent. 



Marula nuts (Tnii/sratil Af/r. .Jour.. .7 {UiiiC), No. 11, pp. ISd, 131). — An 

 analysis of the kernel of the fruit of the ni.-irula tree (Sclcrocari/a ruffra) is 

 i-ejiorted. The marula nut contains about HO ])er cent of oil which it is believed 

 uMglit be used as ;i substitute for olive oil in cloth manufacture. 'IMie iodiii 

 value of the oil was found to be 74. Other constants were also determined. 



ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 



Foods and fodder plants, \V. K. Dunstan (h'pt. Imp. Iii-'tt. »S'o. Kcnsinptnn, 

 I'Jii'). ])]). ls-2()). — r.rief statements are made regarding the extent and character 

 of the analytical and other work pertaining to foods and plants. Studies of 

 Cape Colony oats were undertaken as it has been alleged that they are unsuit- 

 able as forage and produce a peculiar bone disease in animals fed with them. 

 From a study of 4 ty])ical samples the conclusion was readied lliat the oats 

 were deficient in mineral constituents, which are import;nit bone-forming mate- 

 rials. " and it is probably to this deficiency that the ill effects observed in horses 

 fed with these oats are due." 



In a study of the occurrence of hydrocyanic acid in feeding stuffs, large quan- 

 tities were found in beans {Phaseolus lunaiuft) ground up and moistened with 

 water. A number of cases of cattle poisoning have been reported which were 

 due to feeding such .Java beans. 



Commercial feeding stuffs, T. I. Mairs (Pennsylvaiiiu Siu. Bui. SI, pp. 15). — 

 'i'hc characteristics of different commercial feeding stuffs are discussed and the 

 methods of manufacture and preparation of a number of commercial by-products 

 are briefly siwken of. 



As reg.ards alfalfa me;il. a feeding stuff which has been recently placed on the 

 market, the author states : " It is merely ground alfalfa hay. It is recommended 

 ]>y the makers as a substitute for bran. There seems to be no reason why it 

 should be any more digestible than the hay from which it is made. It may 

 possibly be less digestible than average hay on account of there being so great a 

 temptation to grind the poorer grades of hay. It forms ii ])art of many of the 

 so-called dairy and stock feeds." Some of these commercial feeding stutfs con- 

 tain molasses in addition to alfalfa meal. 



As regards grinding in general, the author notes that it " adds comparatively 

 little to the digestibility of the feed for healthy animals. It m.-iy even tend to 

 detract from it, as the ground feed is more apt to be swallowed witliont chewing 

 and mixing with the saliva. It is an expensive process, particularly where it is 

 r.ecessary to h;iul the grain some distance to the mill and i)ay from one-eighth 

 to one-sixth toll. With corn at fifty cents per bushel one-eighth toll amounts to 

 twelve and three-ciuarter cents i)er lumdredweight, or .$"J..">."> per ton. . . . Some 

 millers charge ;i fiat rate of about $2 per t(m. varying with the kind of gi-ain 

 to be ground. This is usually more eipiitable and more economical. To this 

 cost must be added ihe expense of hauling the grain to the mill and returning 

 the feed. Where much grinding is to be done, it i)ays the farmer to own his 

 mill." 



A summary of data on the amount of total digestible nutrients furnished by 

 the different feeding stuffs shows that under local conditions " corn-and-cob 

 meal, buckwhe:it middlings, wheat middlings, .and hominy chop are the cheajiest 

 feeds, followed closely by malt si»routs, dried distillers" grains, corn meal, and 



