ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 



667 



90 to 110 lbs., 2.2 to 2.4 lbs. of digestible protein and 17 to 20 therms of net 

 energy, (d) Lambs weighing 110 to 150 lbs.. 2.6 to 3 lbs. of digestible protein 

 and 16 to 19 therms of net energy. It seems probable, however, that 1.4 to 1.9 

 lbs. of [digestible] protein would be suflQcient for lambs of this weight." 



A bibliography is appended. 



The digestion of crude fiber by sheep and pigs, G. Fingebling, E. Beetsch, 

 A. LoscHE, and G. Arndt (Landw. Vers. Stat., 83 {1913), No. 3-4, pp. 180-210; 

 ahs. in Internat. Inst. Agr. [Rome'\, Mo. Bui. Agr. Intel, and Plant Diseases, 

 5 (1914), No. 2, pp. 231-233). — Four digestion trials were conducted with two 

 wethers and two pigs, each period lasting 11 days. The wethers received dur- 

 ing the first period a basal ration of meadow hay, gluten, starch, and salt ; the 

 pigs, a basal ration of ground barley, fish meal, and salt. During the second 

 period both the wethers and the pigs received the basal ration plus "digested" 

 straw, in the third period the basal ration and grass, and in the fourth period 

 the basal ration and wheat chaff, in which the crude fiber was much lignified- 

 The " digested " straw was prepared by boiling it under pressui-e with alkali. 



The average digestion coefficients for the three fodders experimented upon 

 are given in the following table : 



Digestibility of " digested " straw, grass, and ivheat chaff by sheep and pigs. 



Kind of animal. 



Dry Organic ' pjotein 

 matter. matter, ^roiein. 



"Digested" straw: Per ct. 



Wethers ! 72. 65 



Pigs 101.22 



Grass: 



Wethers ' 65. 29 



Pigs 49.58 



Wheat chaff: 1 



Wethers ' 40.33 



Pigs ' 20.53 



Per ct. 

 73.19 

 88.85 



69.77 

 51.86 



46.93 

 22.95 



Nitro- 

 gen-free 

 extract. 



Per ct. 

 72. 23 

 63.75 



67.29 

 52. 07 



51.54 

 27.86 



Crude 

 liber. 



Ash. 



Perct. 



77.27 

 94.81 



69.49 

 39.39 



30.34 



Perct. 

 55.20 



.37.68 

 .35.92 



19.86 

 12.85 



" It will be seen from the above that the pigs digested the crude fiber which 

 was not or only slightly lignifled better than the sheep, while the latter were 

 able to utilize better the crude fiber more or less [covered] with encrusting 

 matter. The better utilization of the crude fiber of 'digested' straw by pigs 

 depends partly upon the fact that with the sheep some of the crude fiber of the 

 basal ration escapes digestion. It can therefore hardly be stated that pigs are 

 superior to ruminants in their power of dissolving pure cellulose. The pigs 

 digested 39.39 per cent of the cellulose of grass, but they were not able to 

 attack that of wheat chaff, the reason of this difference being that the incrusta- 

 tions are less readily dissolved in the alimentary canal of pigs than in that of 

 ruminants. The superiority of ruminants as regards the power of dissolving 

 cellulose in young grass and in wheat chaff' is very probably due to the finer 

 division obtained by better mastication and to a more intense fermentation of 

 the feed in the digestive organs. 



" Summarizing the results, it may be said that pigs are as capable as rumi- 

 nants of dissolving pure crude fiber or that containing but little encrusting 

 matter, but lose this power in proportion as the encrustation or lignification of 

 the crude fibei increases." 



Swine fattening with large quantities of potatoes, F. Lehmann (Mitt. Ver. 

 Deut. Schweinezilchter, 21 (1914), Nos. 6, pp. 101-112; 7, pp. 128-133; 8, pp. 

 149-153). — Successful trials in feeding large quantities of potatoes to fattening 

 swine are reported. It was found necessary to supply protein in the form of 

 meat meal or fish meal, together with a small grain allowance of barley meal. 



