466 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



of ' dairy ' or ' horse' feeds, even though they are plastered over with molasses, 

 is little short of atrocity." 



Kansas law regulating the sale of concentrated feeding stuffs, C. W. 

 BuRKETT and J. T. Willard (Kansax t^ta. Bal. I.'f6, pp. 217-22.'i). — The Kansas 

 State feeding stuff law provides for the registration of concentrated feeding 

 stuffs, analysis of samples by station officials, and an inspection tax. Violations 

 of the law are punishable by fines. 



The chemical composition of meadow hay from, different Austrian farms 

 in 1903. F. Hanusch {Ztschr. Lnudw. Vrrsuchsiv. Ovfr/r., ]0 (1907), \o. 3, 

 pp. 81-85).- — Sixty per cent of the samples analyzed were classed by the author 

 as of medium quality and 40 per cent as inferior. 



Poisonous beans, J. Hendrick {Trans. Highland and Agr. Soc. Scot., 5. ser., 

 19 {1907, pp. 139-144)- — In recent years many cases of cattle poisoning have 

 been reported which were traced to beans imported from Java. The author has 

 studied the question of such poisoning extensively and summarizes his results 

 in the present paper. As he points out, the beans contain a glucosid which liber- 

 ates hydrocyanic acid when acted upon by enzym or when treated with acid. 

 Boiling the beans destroys the enzym and renders them harmless. Similar poi- 

 sonous properties have been attributed to Rangoon or Burma beans, and imtil 

 definite information is forthcoming the author insists that such beans should 

 not be used. 



The use of sugar, sugar beets and their by-products as feeding stuffs in 

 1906, A. ScHiFT {Wiener Larulw. Ztg., 57 {1907), No. 30, pp. 289, 290).— A 

 summary and discussion of experimental data on the use of these i)roducts in 

 animal feeding, which shows that their importance is appreciated. 



The influence of proteolytic enzyms in feeding stuffs, W. Grimmer {Bio- 

 chein. Ztschr., 4 (1907), Xo. 1, pp. 80-98). — The autodigestion of horse beans, 

 vetch, barley, and oats was studied in neutral, acid, and alkaline mediums. On 

 an average 17.44 per cent of horse bean protein, 22.82 per cent of vetch protein, 

 8.99 per cent of oat protein, and 5.02 per cent of barley protein were, in experi- 

 ments in vitro, rendered soluble by the ferments present in the raw material. 

 The character of the protein cleavage products was studied as well as the 

 amount. 



The results indicate that proteolytic enzyms in oats and barley are similar 

 and resemble tryptic ferment. Horse beans, the axithor concludes, contain only 

 one proteolytic enzym, and vetch probably more than one. 



The possible importance of the enzyms of uncooked foods in the feeding of 

 man and animals is discussetl and, in the author's opinion, the proteolytic fer- 

 ments normally ])resent may be, under certain conditions, decidedly valuable. 



Feeding experiments at the zootechnic laboratory, L. Picollo {Bol. Agr. 

 [Sao Paulo}, 8. ser., 1907, ISlo. 2, pp. 64-71). — A brief account is given of the 

 purpose and aims of experiments undertaken to determine the relative digesti- 

 bility and nutritive value of local-grown and imported feeding stuffs. The data 

 recordetl include the kind and amounts of feed eaten, the water drank, and the 

 weight of the fec-es excreted. The tests were made with a mare, a mule, and a 

 heifer. 



Beef production, H. W. Mumford {Urbnna, III, 1907, pp. 209, pi. 1, figs. 

 24). — 111 this volume, which is based largely on the author's extensive investiga- 

 tions carried on at the Illinois Station and which is designed as a text-book for 

 class-room work and as a general reference handbook, the author discusses the 

 purchase and characteristics of cattle for feeding purposes, the cost of feeding, 

 rations suitable for different conditions, baby beef, Christmas beef, feeding for 

 the home market, fitting steers for exhibition, cattle in the feed lot, buildings 



