FOODS ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 165 



F. Baenstein (Landw. Vers. Stat, 47 (1896), pp. 332-341). — An experi- 

 ment was made with 2 steers to determine the digestibility of castor- 

 bean meal with the poison removed, which was added to a ration of 

 chopped straw in amounts varying from 1 kg. to 3 kg. per day. The 

 coefficients of digestibility were found to be low, probably owing to the 

 large percentage of seed coat in the meal. It was eaten readily aud no 

 bad effects were observed. Very little of any other constituent except 

 protein was digested. The authors suggest that a more digestible feed- 

 ing stuff could be prepared from castor beans, since the seed coat could 

 be easily removed. Owing to the extremely poisonous properties of 

 castor beans only meal should be used in feeding experiments which is 

 guaranteed to be free from poison, and even in this case the precaution 

 should be taken to feed it in small quantities to some small animal 

 before it is fed to stock. 



The effects of consuming the daily food at one time or at inter- 

 vals, F. von Gebiiaiidt (Arch, gesam. Physiol. | Pfliiger], 65 (1896), No. 

 11-12, pp. 611-626). — A number of experiments were made with a dog. 

 In some cases the daily food was consumed at one meal; in others it 

 was divided into portions aud taken at intervals. The nitrogen of the 

 income and outgo was determined. Among the conclusions was the 

 following: When the daily ration is taken in several portions at inter- 

 vals the organism retains more nitrogen than when it is consumed at 

 one time, although the digestion and intestinal absorption are practi- 

 cally the same in both cases. 



The former method of feeding is therefore to be preferred to the 

 latter. 



Slaughter experiments of the German Agricultural Society in 

 1896 (Arb. deut. landw. Ges., 1896, Xo. 18, pp. 80; abs. in Milch Ztg.,25 

 (1896), pp. 681-684). — Slaughter tests with different breeds of cattle, B. 

 Martiny (pp.1-72). — A feeding experimentwas made with 3 lots of cattle. 

 The first consisted of 30 Shorthorns, the second of 30 Simmenthalers, 

 and the third of 28 Dutch steers. The cattle were fed for about 5 

 months. They were given at first a ration consisting of palm-nut meal, 

 cotton-seed meal, wheat chaff, dried beet chips, a little molasses, meadow 

 hay, and barley straw {ad libitum). After a short time beet leaves were 

 substituted for the barley straw. During the latter part of the exper- 

 iment the ration was increased and some potato slump added. The 

 animals were weighed at frequent intervals. The details of food con- 

 sumed and gains made are given in tabular form. The cattle were 

 slaughtered and the meat cut up and judged. [The method of cutting 

 up the carcasses is not the same as that followed in this country.] 



The author concludes that none of the breeds of cattle used could be 

 regarded as making greater or more satisfactory gains than the others 

 and that the size of the animal or the gains made do not furnish a 

 means of judging the value of the carcass. The experiment indicates 

 the need of more extended work along these lines. 



The value of the flesh of fattened pigs, B. Berter (pp. 73-80). — A 



