ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 



667 



Tlie tlifferont rations dkl not perceptibly affect the live weights of the 

 animals nor the character of the milk fat, as shown by the refractometer. 



The accompanying table of cootticients of digestibility are the average results 

 obtained with 7 milch sheep and 2 milch goats : 



Average coefficients of digcstihility of rations containing protein and iirotein 



substitutes. 



Rations. 



Protein 



Ammonium salts and as- 

 paragin 



Amid extract from malt 

 sprouts 



Amid extract from beets . . . 



Amid extract from grass . . . 



Carbohydrates 



Dry 

 matter. 



P. H. 

 67.5 



60. 3 



63.7 

 69.2 

 55.7 

 65.9 



Crude 

 protein 

 nitro- 

 gen. 



P.ct. 



63.2 



63.3 



42.6 

 53.5 

 •13.0 

 44.9 



Pure 

 protein 

 nitro- 

 gen. 



P.ct. 

 66.2 



50.6 



27.2 

 47.5 

 33.3 

 47.9 



Cor- 

 rected 

 crude 

 protein 

 nitro- 

 gen. 1 



P.ct. 

 84.1 



84.2 



79.1 

 76.5 

 70.7 



77.8 



Cor- 

 rected 



pure 

 protein 

 nitro- 

 gen. a 



P.ct. 

 83.6 



75.5 



67.5 

 69.8 

 62.2 

 76.9 



Fat. 



P.ct. 



81.8 



80.8 



80.1 

 86.1 

 83.3 

 82.9 



Nitro- 

 gen- 

 free 

 extract. 



P.ct. 



80.1 



78.8 



78.2 

 77.1 

 66.6 

 79.0 



Crude 

 fiber. 



P. ct. 



48.2 



43.4 



44.9 

 56.8 

 33.3 

 43.0 



Ash. 



P.ct. 

 37.4 



36.2 



28.8 

 57.7 

 47.0 

 39.7 



« Corrected digestibility obtained by pepsin-hydrochloric acid method. 



In the experiment with G wethers, an addition of gluten to a ration of malt- 

 sprout extract and straw increased the digestibility of the crude protein and 

 decreased the amount of protein in the feces. 



The entire series of experiments showed that a partial substitution of a 

 nonprotein for a protein ration increased the amount of protein in the feces, 

 but it is still undetermined whether or not a portion of this protein is formed 

 from the nonprotein of the feed by means of bacteria. The amount of metabolic 

 products is increased by coarse feeds, which irritate the alimentary tract, 

 straw having more influence in this respect than hay. "With a normal amount 

 of coa)'se fodder this effect is fairly constant, but in these experiments the 

 metabolic products amounted on an average to 0.56 gm. of nitrogen per 100 

 gm. of digested organic dry matter. 



On the substitution of amids for protein, W. Thaer {Landio. Vers. Stat., 

 "TO {1909), Xo. 5-6, pp. J,13-J,U, fig. J ; ahs. in Cliem. Zentbl., 1909, II, No. 4, 

 pp. 305, 306). — This experiment was a repetition of that reported, by Fried- 

 laender (E. S. R., 20, p. 70), except that growing wethers were used instead 

 of full-grown sheep. The results obtained were similar to those of the previ- 

 ous experiment. The gain in body nitrogen was dependent entirely upon the 

 protein and starch value, and is represented graphically in the form of a 

 parabola. 



The nutritive value of grape marc, J. Fabre {Prug. Agr. ct Yit. {Ed. VEst- 

 Centrc), 30 (1909), No. 38, pp. 362-368). — In experiments with a horse for 

 .5 days, on a ration consisting exclusively of grape marc, the coefficients of 

 digestibility were for dry matter 28.5, crude protein 21.5, fat 50.4, nitrogen- 

 free extract 34.5, crude cellulose 20.3. and ash 29.0 per cent. The coefficients 

 of digestibility of a similar experiment with a sheep lasting 4 days were 

 dry matter 33.G, crude protein 15.9, fat 49.3, nitrogen-free extract 3G.9. crude 

 cellulose 2G.4, and ash 50.1 per cent. These experiments indicate that grape 

 marc is worth about one-third as much as grass as a feed, though practical 

 feeders have thought it to be worth about one-half as much. 



Sawdust and g'ypsum as food for cattle (Agr. Gaz. N. 8. Wales, 20 (1909), 

 No. 3, p. 251). — It is reported that in England mixtures of sawdust and gyp- 



