ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 



the nutritive value of amids are summarized and the following general conclusions 

 drawn : 



[n the case of herbivora and birds, asparagirj acts asa protector of protein when 

 the nutritive ratio of the ration is wide, though this is nol generally the case when 

 the ration furnishes large or medium amounts of protein. In the case of milk- 

 producing animals, asparagin and other amide within Limits can apparently replace 

 protein without lowering the quantity or quality of the milk. 



In the case of omnivora the protein-protecting power of the asparagin is smaller 

 and as regards nitrogen metabolism it is practically an indifferent body. It can qo1 

 be said thai asparagin exercises a protein-protecting power in the case of carnivora. 

 It seems rather to increase the cleavage of protein. 



Grape pomace in the feeding- of farm animals, II. I'.i.ix {Jour. Agr. Prat., n. 

 ter., 8 ( 1904), No. 50, pp. 766-768). — On the basis of the work of other investigators 

 and his own experience, the author states thai 10 to 12 k<_r. per head per day may be 

 fed to horses, 20 to 25 kg. to cattle, 5 or 6 kg. to sheep, and 5 to L0 kg. to pigs. 



Report on feeding- experiments with roug-h cotton cakes from Indian cot- 

 ton seed, D. A. Gilchrist I County Council Northumb., Ed. Com., Ann. Rpt.,8\ 1903- ; . 

 p}>. 10-26; Bui. 1, pp. 19). — Some data are recorded regarding the amounts of cake, 

 oil, ami refuse obtained from crushing rough decorticate. I ami delinted Indian cotton 

 seed, and feeding trials with sheep and steer- are reported in which Indian and 

 Egyptian cotton-seed cakes were compared. 



The conclusion is drawn that '"Indian ( Bomb; y rough cotton-seed cake, when of 

 good quality, gives satisfactory results with stock fed indoors or on pasture, and that 

 its high manurial value makes it a desirable manurial agent, especially for improving 

 poi r pasture." 



Feeding value of swedes, D. A.. Gilchrist (County Council Northumb., Ed. Com., 

 Ann. Rpt., 8 ( 1908-4), />/>■ V7-84).— The feedingvalue of Arctic. XL All, and Besl of 

 All swedes, containing respectively 11.48, 10.75, and 11.31 per cent dry matter, was 

 studied with 3 lots of 4 calves 29 weeks old, the turnips being supplemented by hay 

 and a mixture of Egyptian cotton-seed cake, barley meal, and linseed cake. 



In the 4 months of the test the gains ranged from 208 lbs. with XL All swedes to 

 l'4:; His. with Best of All swedes. From this and a test with sheep previously 

 reported (E.S. R., 15, p. 897) the conclusion is drawn that in general the Swedish 

 turnips with a high percentage of dry matter had a correspondingly high feeding 



value. 



Digestibility of vetch hay and corn silage, J. Withycombe and A. L. Kxiski.y 

 (Oregon sin. Bui. 85, pp. /•<'). — Digestion experiments were made with vetch hay 

 ( Y'u-hi gativa) and with corn silage, using :; cows. The tests were each of 7 days' 

 duration. 



The average coefficients of digestibility found for vetch hay were: Dry matter 

 fin.o.'), protein 69.91, ether extract 71.21, nitrogen-free extract 71.59, crude fiber 

 57.56, and ash 52.23 per cent. The values for corn silage were: Dry matter 73.08, 

 protein 55.03, ether extract 89.91, nitrogen -free extract 7.\t;.~>, crude fiber 7">.:'.4, 

 and ash 47.0s per cent. 



The prickly pear and other cacti as food for stock, D. Griffiths ( U. S. I >•/>>■ 

 At/r., Bur. Plant Indus. Bui. 74, />/>■ 48, ph. 5, fig. /). The geographical distribution 

 of cacti, methods of feeding, machinery for preparing prickly pear for feeding, the 

 effect.- of prickly pear upon Stock, pear thickets and their destruction, the yield of 

 prickly pear, and other questions are considered, and data collected in the cactus 

 regions of the United states are summarized and discussed with special reference to 

 the value of cacti as forage plants. 



The so-called "prickly pear" is the variety of cactus usually referred to in con- 

 sidering cacti as forage plants, hut according to the author, "any cactus growing 



