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Journal of Agricultural Research 



Vol. XIII, No. 13 



most finely ground hulls, the result being a poor grade of cottonseed flour. 

 Even on soaking or after passing through a steer no particles were over 

 2 mm. in size. The composition of these feeds is given in Table I. 



Table I. — Average analyses of feeds used 



Rations. — The composition of the rations fed prior to making the 

 slaughter tests is given in Table II. These particular rations were used 

 because of the bearing they had on the previously conducted digestion 

 experiments. In regard to the rations used it should be noted from the 

 table that the rations were so planned that of the two actual rations fed — 

 that is, those rations in which both feeds appeared — we have actual 

 qualitative and quantative slaughter tests of the component parts of the 

 rations. 



Weighing and sampling of feeds. — A sample of the silage was taken 

 from each feed and placed in an air-tight specimen jar, to which a suffi- 

 cient amount of toluene was added to preserve properly the sample. This 

 was kept in a refrigerator at a temperature of about 4° to 6° C, after 

 which it was weighed, air-dried, reweighed, ground, and sampled for 

 chemical analysis. Samples of the cottonseed meal were collected during 

 the feeding period and analyzed at the close of the test. 



Feeding period. — In every case the minimum feeding period prior to 

 slaughter was 18 days, which had been found from previous work to be 

 sufficient to clear satisfactorily the alimentary tract of residues from 

 previous feeds. 



Slaughter tests. — The slaughter tests upon which this work is based 

 were made with six steers, as shown in Table II, which gives the numbers, 

 dates of slaughter, rations fed, and other data. Prior to slaughter these 

 steers had been fed regularly night and morning on the test rations. 

 They were killed, by shooting, at 12.30 p. m., 30 minutes after consuming 

 a half -feed, at which time they were considered as approximating the 

 nearest normal condition, so far as the contents of the entire alimentary 

 tract and the several organs were concerned. The esophagus was then 

 exposed and tied, as was the rectum. As rapidly as possible the several 

 organs were then secured so as to prevent passing of residues from one 

 organ to another. Afterwards the contents of each organ were weighed, 

 dried, and sampled; physical analyses were then made separately 

 (Table II). 



