ANIMAL I'KODUCTTON. 



1075 



body weight. Siiiall dosi-s «li<I not affei-i inetaholisiii or tlic secretion of nrine. 

 Larger doses iucrea,sed tiu' secretion of urine and diniinisiiccl the nietal)olisni ot 

 nitrogen. 



' Velvet bean as forag-e and food, IL K. ]\rii,i,i:K ( F/nriiln Six. Ilitl. no, pii. /,.-,7- 

 J(1J, //')■'), 4'>'>)- — in a digestion experiment with 2 steers the average foetlicients of 

 digestihihty of green velvet-hean vines were as follows: Dry matter, (W.;^; i)rotein, 

 7:>..S; fat, 81. o; crude (iher, r>9.(>; and nitrogen-free extract, 82.4 per cent. The average 

 coetiicients of digesti})ility of velvet-bean hay of poor (juality were as follows: Dry 

 matter, 74.2; jirotein, 08.8; fat, 78.7; crude fiber, 78; nitrogien-free extract, 75.7; 

 and ash, 20.4 per cent. The nutritive ratios of the digested portion in the 2 tests 

 with green velvet-bean vines were 1 : 5.3 and 1:5.7. Wimilar values for the 2 tests 

 with velvet-bean hay were 1:12 and 1: 11.4. Using the same coefficients of diges- 

 tion obtained with the poor hay, it is calculated that the nutritive ratio of good velvet- 

 bean hay cut when the pods were well formed would have a nutritive ratio of 1:6. 

 The details of the experiment are reconled in both case§. 



Relative to the food value of the V)eans, it is stated that in many cases stock seem 

 reluctant to eat the material at first, I»ut do so greedily upon becoming accustomed 

 to it. The following table shows the composition of the beans and of the beans 

 and 2H)ds: 



CoiiijKiKitioii of velvet heans. 



Water 



Protein 



Fats ^ 



Cnid- fiber 



Nitrogen-free extract 

 Ash 



Furze, whin, or gorse {Joitr. Agr. and Ind. South Australia, 5 {1901), No. 4, PP- 

 320, 321). — Notes on the feeding vahie and methods of feeding gorse. 



Feeding stuff inspection, C. D. Woods and J. M. Bartlett {Maine Sta. Bid. 80, 

 pp. 41-64). — In compliance with the provisions of the State Feeding Stuff law, 

 analyses have been made of a nuinijer of samples of cotton-seed meal, gluten meal 

 of different brands, gluten feed, germ-oil meal, linseed meal of different brands, 

 flaxseed meal, calf meal, animal meal, beef scrap and similar poultry feeds, commer- 

 cial breakfast food by-products, and mixed feeds, bran, middlings, and red dog flonr. 

 The results obtained are discussed, especial attention being given to condimental feeds 

 and similar products. 



Pressing forage, M. Rincjelmann {Ann. Inst. Nat. Agron., 24 {1897-1'JOO) , No. 

 10, pp. 203-216). — Experiments are reported on the mechanical work required to 

 compress alfalfa hay and straw of different sorts, as well as considerable data on 

 related topics. 



American breeds of beef cattle, with remarks on pedigrees, (i. INl. Rommel 

 ( V. S. Dept. Agr., Bureau of Anivial hidu.^tr;/ Bid. 34, p- '>4, l>ls. ;.^;).— After a brief 

 historical review of the sul)jectof cattle raising in America, the author discusses the 

 cliaracteristics of the principal breeds and such related topics as pedigrei-s and herd- 

 books. A list of the breeders' associations in the United States is included. 



Steer feeding, G. E. Day {Ontario Agr. Col. and Expt. Farm Rpt. 1901, pp. 

 56-58). — Two tests with steers are reported. In the first the comparative value of 

 corn silage and roots are studied. For 147 days, 6 steers averaging some 1,110 lbs. 

 each, gained 1,464 lbs. on a ration of silage, hay, and meal. Six similar animals 

 during the same period gained 1,407 lbs. on a ration of roots (turnips and mangel- 



