ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 



379 



having 2 lii^tulas. According to the author the te^it.s showed that with the goat 

 sugar is not formed as an inti'nuediate prochiet wht>n cellulose is rendered soluble in 

 the intestine. 



Corn vs. peas for fattening' steers, G. E. Day {Ontario Agr. Col. and Expt. Farm 

 apt. i:ioO, ji. 4ii)- — The (•onij)arative value of peas and corn as part of a ration waa 

 studied. Six steei-s feci corn, barley, and oats (1:1:1) for 36 days and then corn and 

 oats (3:1) for 151 days, gained 341.5 lbs., consuming 4.73 lbs. of grain per pound of 

 gain. Five steers fed peas, barley, and oats (1:1:1) for 36 days and then peas and 

 oats (3:1) for 151 days, gained 348.6 lbs., consuming 4. 64 lbs. of grain per pound of gain. 



The meal mixture containing peas gave slightly larger gains than that containing 

 corn; but when the relative cost per ton of corn and peas was taken into account the 

 corn mixtui-e gave decidedly cheajier gains. In this one test the pea mixture was 

 not worth (juite 50 cts. per ton more than the corn mixture, whereas the actual cost 

 of the pea mixture was between S2 and $3 per ton more than the corn mixture. 



Heavy, medium, and light rations for fattening- steers, G. E. Day [Ontario 

 Agr. Col. a)id E.vj)t. Farm Rpt. 1900, pp. 45, 46). — Using 3 lots of 4 steers each, the 

 comparative value of heavy, medium, and light grain rations was tested, in continua- 

 tion of previous work (E. S. R., 12, p. 372), the feeding test proper covering 187 days. 

 The average amount of grain consumed per 100 lbs. live weight l)y the steers receiv- 

 ing a heavy ration was 0.85 lb. per day; of those receiving a medium ration, 0.66 lb.; 

 and of those receiving a light ration, 0.51 lb. The average daily gain per steer in the 

 3 lots was 1.80, 1.87, and 1.87 lbs., respectively, the cost of food per pound of gain 

 being 7.67, 6.97, and 6.36 cts. From this and earlier tests a iiumber of conclusions 

 are drawn : 



"In the average of 4 trials, a comparatively heavy meal ration gave slightly larger 

 but more expensive gains than those obtained with lighter rations. 



"In the average of 4 trials, the most economical gains were obtained by commenc- 

 ing with about one-third of a pound of meal per day per 100 lbs. live weight of the 

 animals, and gradually increasing, the rate of increase being such that on the average 

 of the whole feeding period the steers received 2" 1'^. of meal per day per 100 lbs. of 

 their live weight. A finished steer is fed at a loss; therefore, in economical feeding, 

 an effort must be made not to have the animals finished for any considerable time 

 before they can be disposed of. 



"The method of feeding recommended is suitable for somewhat long feeding 

 periods. Shorter feeding periods would call for a more rapid increase in the meal 

 ration." 



Experiments in breeding fat lambs {Jour. Bd. Agr. [London], 7 {1901), No. 4, 

 pp. 4S2, 483). — A test of the comparative merits of crosses of "Lleyn" ewes with 

 Shropshire, Oxford, Suffolk, and Border Leicester rams showed that from the stand- 

 point of early maturity of the lambs the best results were obtained with the Suffolk 

 and Border Leicester cros.ses. 



Digestion of oat and pea bran by sheep, A. E. Shuttleworth {Ontario Agr. 

 Col. and F.rpt. Farm Rpt. 1900, pp. S2-S4) . — Two sorts of oat dust and pea bran were 

 analyzed and their digestibility determined with 3 sheep. The average coefficients 

 of digestibility of the 2 materials follow: 



Cof'Jfirii'nt.i of digestibiUtii of oat dud and pea bran — E-vperimenta witli silwtp. 



Oat rtiist; average off) determinations . 

 Pea bran; average of 5 determinations. 



Organic 

 matter. 



Per cent. 

 60.86 

 70.78 



I'rotoin. 



Per cent. 

 68.15 

 67.53 



Fat. 



Per cent. 

 79.01 

 78.10 



Nitrogen- 

 free ex- 

 tract. 



Per cent. 

 69.51 



76.77 



Crude 

 fiber. 



Per cent. 

 33.48 



