ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 



259 



to good meadow hay. When fed alone, however, it causes strong fermentation 

 in the alimentary canal, so that not more than half the bulky food should be 

 replaced by it. 



On the value of the stems and leaves of the sweet potato plant (Ipomoea 

 batatas) as a feed material, T. Katayama (Bui. Imp. Cent. Agr. Expt. Sta. 

 Japan, 2 (.1914), ^o. 1, pp. 41-74)- — From three experiments in feeding sweet 

 potato haulms in various forms to sheep the following average coefficients of 

 digestibility were obtained : 



Digestible nutrients and coefficients of digestibility of sweet potato haulms. 



Kind of material. 



Organic 

 matter. 



Nitro- 

 gen-free 

 extract. 



Fat. 



Crude 

 fiber. 



Starch 

 value. 



Dried sweet potato haulms: 



Digestible nutrients 



Coefficient of digestibility 

 Ensiled sweet potato haulms: 



Digestible nutrient,s 



Coefficient of digestibility 



Per ct. 



48.8 

 55.5 



■17.6 

 54.0 



Per ct. 



4.7 



41.9 



5.0 

 42.0 



Per ct. 

 24.8 

 56.8 



24.9 

 57.9 



Per ct. 



2.3 



59.2 



3.4 

 67.9 



Per ct. 

 17.0 

 57.9 



14.2 

 50.3 



Per ct. 

 29.6 



5.7 



The sweet potato tops were ensiled in pits, the material being put in in the 

 latter part of October and removed in March. Only a small loss in nutrients 

 was entailed in the ensiling process, and although dark brown in color and 

 somewhat moldy on top the silage was well liked by the sheep. It is stated 

 that sweet potato foliage in the fresh state is very watery and is similar to 

 beet leaves, but contains tannic rather than oxalic acid. The air-dried foliage 

 has a fine aroma and was well relished by the animals. 



Manufacture of food for cattle and other animals, J. J. Eastick and J. J. 

 A. DE Whallky {English Patent, 14,607, June 24, 1913; abs. in Jour. Soc. Chem. 

 Indus., 33 {1914), ^^o. 15, p. 803). — "Peat mo.ss, containing about 30 per cent 

 of moisture, is treated in an autoclave with 3.5 per cent of its weight of gaseous 

 sulphur dioxid, and then heated for about 30 minutes by the introduction of 

 steam under a pres.sure of 100 lbs. per square inch." 



Inspection of commercial feeding- stuffs, P. H. Smith and C. L. Beals 

 {Massachusetts Sta. Control Scr. Bill. 1 {1914), PP- 4-61)- — ^Analyses are given 

 of the following feeding stuffs: Cotton-seed meal, linseed meal, gluten meal, 

 gluten feed, distillers' dried grains, malt sprouts, brewers' dried grains, wheat 

 middlings, wheat bran, molasses feed, corn meal, ground oats, rye meal, hominy 

 meal, provender, dried beet pulp, meat scrap, bone meal, fish meal, milk albu- 

 min, and various mixed and proprietary feeds. A discussion of the results 

 obtained is appended. 



The acidity of important commercial feedstuff s, L. Wilk {Ztschr. Landio. 

 Versuclmo. Osterr., 17 {1914). ^^o. 5, pp. 231-269).— A study was made of the 

 fatty acid content of various commercial feedstufifs, Including pumpkin-seed 

 cake, sunflower-seed cuke, rape-seed cake, linseed cake, peanut cake, sesame 

 cake, and rice-feed meal. 



Animal husbandry, G. H. True {California Sta. Rpt. 1914, pp. 98-100, figs. 

 5). — Four lots of 25 steers each were fed all the beet pulp they would eat, lot 

 1 also receiving 15 lbs. alfalfa hay, lot 2, 20 lbs. alfalfa hay, lot 3, 7i Iba 

 barley hay, and lot 4. rye grass hay and 2 lbs. horse beans daily. Lots 3 and 

 4 made the largest gains, there being but little difference between lots 1 and 

 2. In steer-feeding experiments, including about 2,000 animals, In which 



