476 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



dogs, cats, and children. From his experiments the deduction is drawn 

 that iron is best absorbed as it occurs in animal and vegetable foods; 

 that is, that iron which has formed a part of living tissue is better 

 absorbed than chemical preparations. The iron content of a large 

 number of foods is reported. In most cases the values were obtained 

 by the author. In some instances they are quoted from the work of 

 other observers. 



Feeding experiments conducted at Mains of Laithers, 1895-'96, 

 A. P. Aitken (Trans. Highland and Agr. Soc. Scotland, 5. ser., 9 (1897), 

 pp. 156-180). — The author reports experiments by J. Milne with 5 lots 

 of 2 year-old cattle on the relative value of a number of concentrated 

 feeding stuffs. Each lot was made up of steers and 4 heifers (8 cross- 

 bred Irish and 2 home-bred polled cattle). One steer was dropped from 

 lot 1 before the close of the test. The experiments began December 19, 

 1895, and covered 16 weeks. The cattle were fed in stalls. All the 

 lots were given a basal ration of 50 lbs. per head daily of pulped yellow 

 turnips and straw ad libitum. In addition, lot 4 was fed 10 lbs. of bar- 

 ley bran. In order that tbe feeding stuffs might be compared on a 

 financial basis, the other lots were fed as much of the different concen- 

 trated feeding stuffs used as could be purchased for the same price as 

 the barley bran. Thus, lot 1 received 7^ lbs. per head of ground decor- 

 ticated cotton-seed cake, lot 2 3f lbs. ground decorticated cotton-seed 

 cake and 5^ lbs. dried brewers' grains, lot 3 6§ lbs. ground linseed cake, 

 and lot 5 4 lbs. crushed oats and 4A lbs. ground corn. The nutritive 

 ratio of the different rations was as follows: Lot 1 1: 3, lot 2 1:4, lot 3 

 1: 4.5, lot 4 1 : 7.4, and lot 5 1 : 10. The food consumed and for a num- 

 ber of weeks the urine and feces for 2 animals of each Jot were ana- 

 lyzed. The composition of the urine, however, is not recorded. The 

 average daily gain for the different lots was as follows: Lot 1 1.11 lbs., 

 lot 2 1.33 lbs., lot 3 1.20 lbs., lot 4 1.42 lbs., and lot 5 1.2G lbs. 



From the data obtained and Wolff's tables the coefficients of digesti- 

 bility of the different feeding stuffs were calculated and are shown in 

 the following table: 



Coefficients of digestibility of feeding stuffs. 



Decorticated cotton cake 



Linseed cake 



Dried brewers' grains . . . 

 Barley bran 



Oats 



( lats straw. 



Maize 



Turnips'... 



Protein. 



Per cent. 

 85 

 86 

 72 



78 

 80 

 50 

 75 

 60 



Per cent. 

 80 

 91) 

 84 

 80 

 90 

 50 

 90 

 90 



Carbo- Crude 

 hydrates. fiber. 



1'er cent. 

 95 

 80 

 67 

 80 

 80 

 45 

 95 

 94 



Percent. 



■Quoted from jirevious experiments. 



The results of the experiments are discussed in detail. It is pointed 

 out that barley bran, which is ordinarily exported, is a valuable feed- 

 ing stuff'. Iu the author's opinion the cattle as a whole did not make 



