56 



Journal of Agricultural Research 



Vol. X, No. 2 



between the moisture content and the coefficients of digestion. Upon 

 the assumption that a high moisture content of the feces accompanies a 

 more rapid rate of passage, comparative values may be obtained for the 

 time of passage. To avoid the complications in the calculations and 

 results which would arise if comparisons were made of the data obtained 

 while on different rations, we have made our studies on the correlations 

 between the high and low moisture contents of the feces and the corre- 

 sponding digestion coefficients where the same rations were employed. 

 In Table I these results, as obtained from two series of digestion trials, 

 both of which were made in duplicate, are given. Correlations were then 

 made between the digestion coefficients and the moisture content of the 

 feces. Arranged in table form we have the kind of correlation for each 

 ration as indicated in Table I, no sign being used in those instances where 

 contradictory results for the two series were obtained. 



Table I. — Correlation between the moisture content of the feces and digestive coefficients 



Ration No. 



I 



2 



3 

 4 

 5 

 6 



7 



Composition of ration. 



Silage. 



Per cent. 



lOO. O 



O. O 



70. o 



50. o 



34-5 

 69. o 

 30.0 

 15-8 



Cotton- 

 seed 

 meal. 



Per cent. 



O. O 



100. O 



30.0 



50. o 



34- 5 



o. o 



70. o 



36-9 



Starch. 



Percent. 

 O. O 

 O. O 

 o. o 

 o. o 

 31. o 



31.0 



o. o 



47-3 



Dry 



matter, 



Ash. 



Nitro- 

 gen. 



+ 



Crude 

 fiber. 



+ 

 + 

 + 

 + 



Nitro- 

 gen-free 

 extract. 



+ 



+ 



+ 



+ 



Fat. 



While in the cases of the ash, nitrogen, and nitrogen-free extract the 

 results do not always agree, the indications are that, with a higher 

 moisture content of the feces, there is a more complete digestion of all 

 nutrients except nitrogen and fat. According to Kellner,^ the occurrence 

 of nitrogenous and ether soluble substances in the feces is attributable 

 largely to metabolic processes, mucus, intestinal epithelium, micro- 

 organisms, and especially to the content of the digestive juices, notably 

 the bile. Since a high moisture content of the alimentary tract comes 

 from the copious secretion of the digestive juices, it results naturally 

 that we should have a more complete digestion of most nutrients, with 

 a high moisture content of the feces, and also that the excessive nitrogen- 

 containing and ether-soluble compounds of the feces should indicate a 

 decrease in the digestion of these nutrients. 



> KELtNER, Oskar. DES SRNAHRUNG DBR i,andwirtschafti,ichen NDIZTIERB 

 Bei'lin, 1912. 



Aufl. 6, p. 32. 



