No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 451 



a great shrinkage in the corn and oats crops. Another reason was 

 that in the West there were failures and a large amount of live 

 stock was placed upon our markets and found buyers among our 

 feeders and these had to be fed. 



In regard to the law that was placed upon the statute books a 

 few 3'ears ago, I beg leave to state that it has not been questioned 

 on its constitutionality and in fact, we have only tried one case in 

 court, the manufacturers and dealers having paid their fines before 

 the Magistrate. The statement that I made in my report of last 

 year, that all feeds should be sold on their protein and fat analysis 

 and their low fibre constituents, or the higher the protein and fat 

 and the lower the crude fibre, the more valuable the feed. This is 

 the sermon the salesmen of the large feed concerns who are seeking 

 our markets, r^reach in regard to their feeds, and if our feeders would 

 study the tables furnished them, they could be just as well informed 

 in regard to the composition and value of feeds as the salesman who 

 sells the same. 



To prove my contention, I will ask you to compare the analysis of 

 a sample of gluten meal which analyzes as follows: Protein, 29.30%, 

 fat, 11.30%, crude fibre, 3.30%. Sample of wheat middlings, protein, 

 15.60%, fat, 4.00%, crude fibre, 4.00%. Buckwheat middlings, pro- 

 tein, 28.90%, fat, 7.10%, crude fibre, 4.10%. Cottonseed meal, pro- 

 tein, 42.30%, fat, 13.10%, crude fibre, 5.60%. This is a sample in 

 which there were no cottonseed hulls. Linseed meal, protein, 

 32.90%, fat, 7.10%, crude fibre, 8.90%. These are among the very 

 high grade meals that are found on all our markets and are bought 

 by all our feeders. These are some of the feeds that you should 

 see that are pure and you should buy on this guarantee. 



The feed question and the digestibility of feed is the one great 

 question which our exjjerimental stations should take up and work 

 out for our farmers and feeders. The manufacturers and compound- 

 ers of commercial feeding stutfs claim that a given amount of their 

 feeds are digestible, but they do not give you any feeding test. What 

 you gentlemen want is a test of these feeds on your horses for work 

 and driving purposes, your cows for butter and milk and your other 

 domestic animals for growth and fattening. 



There are tables given of some reports, and we do not doubt their 

 correctness, but the only true way is to feed a feed to a cow a 

 given number of days and to keep a correct account of what she eats 

 and what she produces in milk, if the feed is fed for milk, or if the 

 feed is fed for butter. Give the amount she consumes and the 

 amount she produces. This is the kind of table that will show in 

 dollars and cents what the said feed will give in return for the 

 money invested. 



A new book on stock feeds and feedings has been published in the 

 last year by Jas. E. Halligan, Chemist in charge of the Louisiana 

 State Experiment Station, Baton Rouge, La., and published by the 

 Chemical Publishing Co., of Easton, Pa. It is one of the latest 

 and best books that has been published on this subject, and any- 

 one who is interested in this great subject should secure this book 

 and make a study of the question. You are the men who are paying 



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