ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 63 



ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 



The feeding- of farm animals, < >. K ellner ( Du Erniihrung <l< r landvnrtschaftlicJu n 

 Nutztiere. Berlin: Paul Parey, 1905, pp. V 1 1 1 594). This volume, which embodies 

 the results of the author's investigations extending overman} years, is an attempt 

 t<> treat the Bubjecl «>t' tin- feeding of farm animals from a comparatively new stand- 

 point. 



The author contends thai as feeding stuffs differ in the ease with which they are 

 assimilated by the body, they should be compared on the basis of the quantity of 

 nutritive material which is available after the amounl required for assimilation has 

 been taken into account, rather than on the basis of proximate composition or the 

 percentage of digestible nutrients present. For his comparison he has selected the 

 Btarch equivalents of the feeding stuffs as a basis rather than energy values which 

 have sometimes been used. 



The hook as a whole marks a distinct advance in the theoretical discussion of Btock 

 feeding, ami will prove of value not alone to students hut also to practical feeder- and 

 to all who are interested in discussions of such suhjects. The volume is composed of 

 .'J main divisions. The first is concerned with the composition, digestibility, and 

 utilization of feeding stuffs and the second with the properties, preservation, prepa- 

 ration, and use of feeding stuffs, while the third takes up the feeding of farm animals 

 with relation to different agricultural conditions. 



In an appendix tin- author gives a number of tables Bhowing the composition and 

 diL r >-stihility of feeding stuffs, in which special attention is paid to the feeding values 

 on the basis of starch equivalents. Feeding standards are also included. These, like 

 the other tabular matter, embody the author's views regarding the use of data show- 

 ing the real feeding value rather than values based on composition and digestibility 

 only. A detailed index adds to the value of the volume. 



Feeding stuff inspection, (\ D. Woods and .1. M. Bartlett ( Maine sin. Bui. 115, 

 Pi). 5S-70). — Analyses of samples collected during the fall and winter of 1904-5 are 

 reported, including cotton-seed meal, gluten meals and icv(\<, linseed meal, viscid 

 oil meal, su^ar and tiax seed, distillers' grains, mixed grains, hominy feed, meat 

 meal, ground beef scraps and similar feeds, mixed and proprietary feeds, wheat hran, 

 bran and short-, corn meal, tlour. and condimental feeds. 



In general, the cotton-seed meal was of good quality, hut it was noted that the 

 number of samples containing above 4.'! per cent protein was less than a few years 



■go. "Gluten products continue t<> he the most unsatisfactory of any concentrated 

 Eeeds on the market. This is partly because different lots of the same brand vary 

 somewhat in composition, hut is chiefly because certain companies persist in putting 



a guarantee upon their goods that the goods do not come up to in any instance." 



As shown by composition, the viscid oil meal, an old-process linseed meal, hail a 

 fairly high feeding value, hut the taste was unpleasant, "and it would seem doubt- 

 ful if cattle would eat it readily." As regards adulterated mixed feeds the authors 

 note that "there is so much profit in selling ground corn cobs, broom corn, and other 



valueless materials at the price of wheat bran, thai the consumer must ever he on 



the watch against this fraud. The safest thing is to buy only well-known, reliable 



brands of this class of goods. If consumers will see to it that all of this class of 



feeds which they buy carries the name of the miller, there will he little likelihood 



of their being defrauded." 



The condimental feeds examined were found, as was previously the case, to con- 

 sist of w heat bran or some similar con cen tinted feed, with small amount- of fenugreek, 

 charcoal, sulphur, salt, copperas, and similar bodies added. Attention is directed to 

 the very high cost of these f is in proportion to their nutritive value or in propor- 

 tion to the amount and value of the materials used in their manufacture for their 

 supposed medicinal properties. 



