582 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



The basic ingredients of these materials were generally such well-known concen- 

 trated feeds as corn meal, wheat offal, and linseed meal, though in some instances some 

 substance like mustard hulls was used. The medicinal ingredients were found to 

 consist of some of the more common drugs, including fenugreek, fennel, anise, gen- 

 tian, ginger, pepper, salt, magnesium and sodium sulphates, saltpeter, sodium bicar- 

 bonate, sulphur, iron oxid, charcoal, and turmeric. 



The wholesale cost of the mineral drugs, except niter, it is pointed out, is not over 

 a cent a pound, while that of the vegetable drugs varies from 3 to 12 cts. a pound, 

 and judging from available data the original cost of the entire mixtures could rarely 

 have exceeded 2.5 t<> 3 cts. per pound and in many cases could not have been over 

 2 cts. The retail price of the stock and poultry, foods varied from 6 to 25 cts. a pound, 

 depending on the brand and quantity purchased. The condition powders were much 

 higher, ranging from 30 cts. to $1 per pound. The great economy of homemade 

 mixtures of common drugs, etc., is pointed out. 



The food value of stock foods and condition powders "has been shown to be no 

 greater than that of the ordinary grains of which they are largely composed. Their 

 medicinal value depends largely upon the aromatic seeds and roots used as a tonic 

 for the stomach, on charcoal as an absorbent, and on the purgative effect of the 

 Epsom or Glaubers salts. The quantity recommended to be fed daily is usually so 

 small (1 oz. or less) that very little effect can be expected unless the material is fed for 

 a considerable length of time. While it is probably true that some of these stock foods 

 may prove beneficial under certain conditions, it is also true that most of them are 

 heterogeneous mixtures and evidently put together by parties quite ignorant of the 

 principles of animal physiology, pathology, and veterinary medicine." 



A resume of experiments with stock and poultry foods is also given, and the results 

 of a demonstration test of the relative value of Pratt's food and a mixture of corn 

 meal and wheat middlings is reported. Four cows, divided into 2, lots of 2 each, 

 were fed a basal ration of fine-cut hay, rowen, distillers' grains, and middlings. In 

 addition, one lot was given daily 0.5 to 0.75 lb. each of Pratt's food, and the other 

 a like amount of the grain mixture mentioned. After a month the special rations 

 were reversed. 



Considering the test as a whole, there was a gain of 12 lbs. on the ration containing 

 Pratt's food and 20 lbs. on the mixture of corn meal and wheat middlings. The 

 total milk yield of the 2 lots was 3,048.2 lbs. and 2,998.07 lbs., respectively. With 

 Pratt's food the milk showed on an average 13.51 per cent total solids and 4.58 per 

 cent fat, and on corn meal and wheat middlings 13.45 per cent total solids and 4.54 

 per cent fat. 



According to the authors, the investigations show that Pratt's food did not sub- 

 stantially increase the quantity of milk and milk ingredients over that produced by 

 a like amount of ordinary feeds, as the slight variation noted was within the limits 

 of experimental error. The condimental feed also failed to increase the richness of 

 the milk, although it increased the cost of milk and butter fully 10 per cent. No 

 effects, favorable or otherwise, on the general health and condition of the animals 

 were noticed when the condimental feed formed a part of the daily ration. 



The bulletin also contains brief notes of the examination under the law of 481 

 samples of concentrated feeds collected during the winter and spring of 1905. Though 

 the analyses are not reported in full, some general deductions are drawn. Among 

 other points it was noted that the cotton-seed meal was quite generally of good color 

 and of satisfactory mechanical condition, though in many instances there was a 

 tendency to reduce the minimum protein guarantee to 41 per cent or lower, which 

 would indicate that the highest grade meal was not being offered. Several samples 

 of Sea Island cotton-seed meal contained only 25 per cent protein, and consequently 

 would be actually worth only about half the price of goods of prime quality. 



