FOODS ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 



253 



of oxalic acid, which forms as much a.s 10 per cent of the dry matter of 

 beet leaves. The opinion was held that oxalic acid in Ibod caused a 

 deficit of calcium in the system. This might be avoided by neutraliz- 

 infi" the food with calcium carbonate. The author made experiments 

 with a sheep and with swine. The sheep was not affected by the oxalic 

 acid in the food. The bones were normal. Tn the author's opinion 

 sheep are not injured by oxalic acid, because it is destroyed by a special 

 and very active fermentation in the first stomach. Swine were much 

 • more susceptible to the action of oxalic acid. One died from a lack of 

 calcium in the bones. The hydrochloric acid extract of the feces of the 

 swine fed with beet leaves contained large quantities of calcium salts, 

 w^hile that from animals not fed beet leaves contained very little. 



The author recommends beet leaves as a desirable and safe food 

 (for sheep?). Too much should not be fed at first, and calcium car- 

 bonate may with advantage be added to the food. This may be omitted 

 later. Cured beet leaves are eaten readily and agree with animals 

 very well. The diarrhea which is observed when the green leaves 

 are first fed is not noticed with the dry leaves. Still, in the author's 

 opinion, it is hardly profitable to dry the leaves. 



Quarantine experiments with swine, J. Aeup {Tidslr. Landol-on., 

 li {189.5), 'pj). 502-5:31). — Tlie German quarantine regulations concerning 

 imjjortations of swine from Denmark caused a fear in the latter coun- 

 try that ex]»ort trade might seriously suffer. It was thought that there 

 might be a loss in weight, a deterioration in the quality of the pork, or 

 a loss from disease or death, incident to the 10-day quarantine period. 

 To investigate the question 36 hogs were divided into 3 lots of 12, 14, 

 and 10 animals, respectively, and sent to Copenhagen. Half the animals 

 in each lot were slaughtered at the beginning of the trial. The remain- 

 der were kept under (quarantine conditions and were fed 5 lbs. of barley 

 per head daily for 10 days, when they were slaughtered. The quality 

 of the pork was carefully determined in every case. It was necessary 

 to slaughter half the remaining animals in lot 3 before the end of the 

 trial, as they were found to be suffering from carbuncular erysipelas. 

 They are therefore not included in the averages. The following table 

 shows the average weights of the different lots, the gains made, and 

 the dressed weight of the animals: 



Results of slaughtering tests. 



