PRICKLY PEAR AS STOCK FEED. — SMITH. 6 



individuals employed therein was small, but was considered 

 sufficient to enable the factors bj^ which appetite might be 

 influenced to be well discerned. 



The effect of administration of water to pear-fed animals 

 was investigated during the second trials, when the progress 

 of watered and unwatered animals was compared. 



The continuance of prickly pear feeding for from seven to 

 eight months provided ground for pronouncement on the effect 

 of the feed on the health of animals, judged both by their 

 obvious condition at the end of the feeding and by post mortem 

 appearance. 



Maintenance Trials. Feeds Consumed Daily and 

 Alteration of Body Weights. 



First Trials (50-70 days). — Four groups of animals were 

 utUised, viz. : — (1) Three animals received pricldy pear alone ; 



(2) five animals received prickly pear \\ith a httle hay roughage ; 



(3) six prickly pear, a httle hay, and meal ; (4) four prickly 

 pear, hay, and legume hay. The prickly pear was of 8G-87 per 

 cent, water content, and as much was suppUed as was eaten. 

 The meal was hnseed meal or cocoanut cake. The hay was 

 wheaten and pamcum hay, fed chaffed ; the legume, chaffed 

 lucerne hay. The data for the trials are given in Table 1. 



Second Trials (50-55 day<i). — The disposition of the experi- 

 mental animals was as follows : — (1) Seven received pricldy 

 pear and chaffed lucerne hay ; (2) eleven received prickly pear 

 and meal (either hnseed meal, cocoanut cake, or maize ger m- 

 meal). As much prickly pear was given as was eaten, and no 

 hay roughage was supplied. The prickly pear varied in water 

 content from 82-86 per cent. The amount of meal or legume 

 fed in both the first and second trials was made to provide 

 protein at least adequate to the maintenance of the animals. 

 The rations fed in the second trials and the gains made are 

 summarised in Table 2. 



The weights recorded are based on ten weighings on succes- 

 sive days about the initial and final days of the periods. The 

 weighings were made immediately after the morning meal of 

 prickly pear, and as they were obviously influenced by the 

 amount of pear taken they were corrected accorcUngly, being 

 brought to a basis of a sixty-pound prickly pear consumption. 

 This method of correction would appear to be necessary where 



