FARM ANIMALS 119 



PROPRIETARY FEEDS 



An almost innumerable list of proprietary and 

 condimental feeds has been compounded and 

 placed upon the market with advertisements re- 

 garding their virtues. Some of them are claimed 

 to increase the palatability of all feeding stuffs, to 

 induce a more rapid growth than can otherwise be 

 obtained, prevent indigestion, cure various dis- 

 eases, and offer insurance against other losses. 

 Obviously such claims are quite impossible of 

 fulfilment. As a rule, the proprietary and condi- 

 mental foods advertised on account of their medici- 

 nal properties contain well known drugs such as 

 aniseed, fenugreek, coriander, etc., which may be 

 purchased much more cheaply than the price asked 

 for them in condimental foods. In Scotland tests 

 were made of condimental foods, which were found 

 to be considerably inferior to oats pound for pound 

 for cattle. Some benefit was derived, however, in 

 a long series of experiments by adding to the ration 

 two ounces of a mixture of equal parts of fenugreek, 

 caraway, coriander, and aniseed. If cattle are 

 cared for in the proper manner and kept in sanitary 

 conditions, groomed and fed a well-balanced ration, 

 with variations from time to time, the health and 

 appetite of the animal should remain unaffected 

 during the ordinary feeding period of 150 to 190 

 days. 



ROUGHAGE FOR BEEF PRODUCTION 



Alfalfa. This is at the present time the most 

 important and the most effective roughage for beef 

 production. It occupies the same position in the 

 list of forage plants for steers which corn does in 

 the grains. It may be fed green or in the form of 



