286 The Sugars <in<l Alhiuinnouh oj Oaf Straw 



difference in feeding value. Poor samples of hay are often below 8 per 

 cent, albuminoids. The highest total sugar is 9-74 per cent, and the 

 lowest 0-33 per cent. Old leas ploughed out and plenty of muck give 

 high albuminoids; fine harvest weather gives sugars. It is good manage- 

 ment that secures the benefits of these improvements in composition. 



The Value of Research Grants. 



Twenty-two years ago one of us started to answer the question 

 "why can cattle be fattened on roots and straw in Scotland and not in 

 England? " Limitation of time restricted the enquiry to hnes which 

 looked promising, with little direct result altliough the experience has 

 in the end proved very valuable. Thanks to a Special Research Grant 

 from the Jlinistry of Agriculture, a very moderate extra expenditure 

 has enabled the enquiry to be prosecuted in a complete manner. Out 

 of this came the idea that perhaps it was the albuminoids in the straw 

 that was the foundation on which an answer could be given; further 

 work has shown that that is undoubtedly the case, as far as the main 

 part of the answer is concerned. Nevertheless the sugar is important 

 in both swedes and straw and contributes a great deal to the feeding 

 value, but probably it is the albuminoids in the straw that make the 

 chief difference between the practice of north and south. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY. 



(1) McCoLLTiM. Tlie Newer Knowledge of Nutrition (^la.cMiM^i.n), -p. 100. 



(2) Collins. The Estimation of Laevuloso (Fructose) in Straw. J. S.C.I. 1922, 



p. 56. T. 



(3) Lino and Jones. V'oluiiu-tric Estimation of Reducing Sugars. Analyst, 1908, 



p. 160. 



(4) Collins and Spilleb. Sugar in Oat Straw and Cattle Food. J.S.C.T. 1920, 



p. 66. T. 



(Received July 5th, 1922.) 



