174 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



account transportation, the diffusion residue silage costs more than the 

 fodder beets. Pound for pound, the dry matter of the silage was shown 

 to be superior to the fodder beets for fattening animals. This superi- 

 ority more than makes up for the difference in cost. No harm results 

 from feeding milch cows diffusion residue silage if it has not undergone 

 putrefactive fermentation, which affects its quality. Good silage has 

 no effect on the quantity or quality of niiik. 



Feeding millet to horses, T. D. Hinebauch (North Dakota Sta. 

 Bui. 26, pp. 89-105). — Two tests were made with horses to study the 

 effect of feeding millet as a coarse fodder. In the first trial 2 geldings 

 in good health were fed hay and grain for about 2 weeks. Millet was 

 then substituted for hay for about 10 days. The same ration as at the 

 beginning was then fed for 4 days. The temperature of the air, the tem- 

 perature of the horses, the amount of food and water consumed, the 

 weight of the horses, and the amount of urine excreted were determined. 

 Dining a number of days the specific gravity, and in some cases the 

 total solids, nitrogen, and ash in the urine were determined. All the 

 horses were driven daily for exercise. 



The second test was similar to the first, and was made with 2 mares. 

 One of the mares became very lame and could hardly stand, and suffered 

 from time to time from retention of the urine. She was killed and a 

 post-mortem examination of the carcass was made. The other mare did 

 not show as marked symptoms during the test. However, when fed 

 millet for about 3 months she would become so lame in the joints of 

 the hind legs that it was almost impossible for her to walk. When 

 feeding millet was discontinued she would recover. The lameness was 

 again produced by millet feeding. After about 2 years of alternate 

 periods of millet and hay feeding, she became practically worthless. 

 Circular letters were sent out to farmers asking for information con- 

 cerning millet feeding for horses. A number of replies were received. 

 From his experiments and observations the author draws the following 

 conclusions : Feeding millet alone as coarse fodder is injurious to horses. 

 It produces an increased action of the kidneys and causes lameness 

 and swelling of the joints. It causes an infusion of blood into the 

 joints and destroys the texture of the bone, rendering it soft and less 

 tenacious, so that the ligaments and muscles are easily torn loose. 

 The experience of many farmers confirms the experiments. 



The taste of food, W.Barnes (Dietet. and Hyg. Gaz., 13(1897), No. 7, pp. 481-483).— 

 The importance of flavor in food is discussed from a medical standpoint. 



Contaminated meat (Dietet. and Hyg. Gas., 13 (1897), No. 7, pp. 439,440).— In an 

 article quoted from the Medical Chronicle it is pointed out that, in addition to para- 

 sites present before slaughtering or added poison, meat may become poisonous in three 

 ways, (1) by the presence of disease at the time of slaughtering, (2) by microorgan- 

 isms which attack the meat or develop in it after slaughtering, and (3) owing to the 

 presence of ptomaines or tox-albumoses. The need of cleanliness and thorough cook- 

 ing is insisted upon, as well as inspection of the meat supply. 



A study of the composition of wheats and their analysis, A. Girard (Compt. 

 Bend. Acad. Set. Paris, 124 (1S97), No. 17, pp. 876-882).— The author believes that 



