FOODS ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 



621 



The following- couclusions were reached: 



The opinion of previous years is confirmed that salt has no marked 

 efiect on digestibility. The digestibility of soaked and dry beans and 

 of barley is practically the same. 



From all the experiments made it is concluded that a ration having 

 a nutritive ratio of 1:7-8 has given as good results as one with a 

 nutritive ratio of 1:4-5. The principal point m feeding full-grown 

 sheex) in medium condition is to fatten them as quickly as possible to 

 produce meat of good flavor. To accomplish this it is essential that 

 the ration should be easily digested and appetizing in order that a 

 relatively large quantity may be consumed. This is most easily 

 accomplished when the nutritive ratio is wide, but in the opinion of 

 the authors the flesh is of best quality when the nutritive ratio is 

 medium, about 1:5-6. 



The cost of the feeding stufts and their manurial value are not taken 

 into account in this investigation. 



Sheep-feeding experiments -w^ith molasses, Ramm [Deut. landiv. 

 Fresse, 23 (ISOO), Xo. 73, pp. 051, 053, pJ. 1). — An experiment to learn 

 the maximum amount of molasses which could be fed and to compare 

 molasses with other feeding stuffs was made with 6 lambs, 6 months old 

 at the beginning of the test, divided into 3 lots of 2 each. The experi- 

 ment lasted from August 27, 1895, to March 20, 1896. Lot 1 was fed a 

 ration of 1.4 kg. of hay, 1 kg. of bean meal, and 3.6 kg. of molasses per 

 100 kg. live weight, and lot 2 was fed 1 kg. of hay, 1 kg. of bean meal, 

 and 4.5 kg. of peat molasses cake. Lot 3 was fed the same amount of 

 hay and bean meal and 2.8 kg. of barley meal. The sheep were slaugh- 

 tered at the end of the test. The average weight at beginning, gain in 

 weight, dressed weight, weight of tallow and fleece, and profit or loss 

 are given in the following table: 



liesnlts of sheep- feeding experiment. 



Weight 



at be- 

 ginning 

 (shorn) 



Lot 1 (molasses) 26. 00 



Lot 2 (peat molasses cake) 27. 80 



Lot 3 (bailey meal) '• 26. 58 



Weight 

 at end 

 (shorn). 



Dressed Weight ' Weight 

 weight, of tallow. I of fleece. 



Kg. 

 41. 28 

 45.30 

 50.07 



Kg. 

 20.75 

 27.50 

 25.00 



Kg. 

 1.540 

 2. 485 

 2.020 



Kg. 

 2.320 

 1.905 

 3.300 



Profit (+) 



or 

 loss (— ). 



-|-|0. 60 

 + .14 

 — 1.09 



The dry matter, ether extract, solidifying point, and melting point of 

 the fat and the dry matter, ash, and ether extract in the meat were also 

 determined for each sheep. The following conclusions are drawn : 



Without injuring the health sheep can be fed 3.6 kg. of fresh molasses 

 and 4.5 kg. of peat molasses cake per 100 kg. of live weight. 



The nitrogen-free extract in the food being the same, the gains on 

 molasses were 82 ])er cent and on peat-molasses cake 72 per cent of the 

 gain on barley meal. 



