66 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



large enough to be fed with economy can be used as roughage, or as a succulent for 

 milk production." 



Prickly pear is very succulent and hence necessarily has a low nutritive value. 

 Tke data summarized lead to the conclusion, however, that it may he fed to cattle 

 with decided advantage during prolonged drought when more nutritious feed is 

 scarce, and that it may he used to fatten cattle if fed with some coarse fodder and 

 with some concentrated feed. Supplemented by concentrated feeds and some hay or 

 pasturage, it is regarded as a valuable accessory to the dairy ration, supplying suc- 

 culence which it is difficult to secure in semiarid regions. A ration of from 40 to 70 

 lbs. per day with plenty of other nutritious feed is recommended for cows, though 

 up to 100 lbs. may he fed. 



Oxen, it is stated, can he worked indefinitely on a ration consisting largely of 

 prickly pear and require watering only 2 or 3 times a week in summer. A full-grown 

 steer on pear alone will consume from 125 to 200 lbs. daily. The liability of forming 

 fiber balls when fed whole and exclusively is mentioned. Hogs fatten well on the 

 fruit of the prickly pear and take kindly to a ration of prickly pear when the thorns 

 are properly singed off. 



The methods of preparation for feeding by singeing, by slicing, and by steaming 

 are described. Ensiling is also mentioned, but is not considered advantageous. 

 When the pear is burned it scours cattle much worse than when scorched sufficiently 

 to take the thorns off. Chopped pear sours quickly and hence must be fed at once. 

 Pear cut and piled up under cover will keep in good condition for a month or more. 



The uses of cacti for other purposes are pointed out, including the preparation of 

 jellies from the fruits, the use of the joints by the Mexicans as pot herbs and for 

 pickles, and the manufacture of a sort of candy from the pulp. 



Feeding- steers on sugar-beet pulp, alfalfa hay, and farm grains, W. L. 

 Carlyle, C. J. Griffith, and A. J. Mever (Colorado Sta. Bui. 97, pp. 13, figs. 8).— 

 Using 3 lots of 50 steers each, the value of sugar-beet pulp and alfalfa, with and with- 

 out grain, was studied. 



In the 25 weeks of the test the average daily gain on the ration containing oats and 

 barley was 1.9 lbs. per head, on the ration containing corn 2 lbs., and on that con- 

 taining no grain 1.57 lbs. The greatest range in the cost of a pound of gain was 

 noticed in the first and last mentioned lots, being 6.53 cts. and 3.79 cts., respectively. 

 Data are recorded regarding the shrinkage in shipping, as well as some of the details 

 of the slaughter test. 



The authors state that no appreciable difference was noted in the quality or grade 

 of the meat of representative carcasses selected from each lot. Judged by the results 

 of cooking tests, the meat from the lot fed beet pulp and alfalfa hay only was as good 

 or better than that from the other lots. 



The principal conclusions drawn regarding the feeding value of sugar-beet pulp 

 were in effect as follows: 



In feeding sugar-beet pulp absolute cleanliness should be observed. It should he 

 fed in troughs or "bunks" provided for the purpose, only such an amount being 

 given at one time as the cattle will clean up with reasonable waste, and the hunks 

 should be cleaned daily. Unless this be done they will gradually become filled with 

 fro/en pulp in cold weather and with decaying pulp during warm weather. Pulp 

 should never be fed late in the afternoon during cold weather. The cattle generally 

 refuse to eat after nightfall and whatever remains in the bunks freezes before 

 morning. 



Pulp has a laxative tendency. On this account it is well to feed good alfalfa hay 

 of the first cutting with it, if convenient. The feed racks for hay and hunks for pulp 

 should be near together. Cattle seem to be particularly fond of well-cured ensiled 

 pulp, preferring this to fresh pulp. In order to secure the pulp in its best form, it 

 is desirable to have it placed in the silo fresh from the factory and fed directly from 



