AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY AND GEOLOGY. 



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this subject. It is known, too, that according to Magendie's experiment dogs could live on 

 bran bread, while they died when fed on wheat bread. This fact, which appears singular, 

 is explained through the researches in question. 



The inner surface of bran is covered with azotized principles, which, like diastase, will dis- 

 solve starch, changing it into dextrine and sugar. These principles diifer somewhat from 

 diastase. Still it is demonstrated that bran acts as a ferment in fermentation, and conse- 

 quently in a similar manner in digestion. Silliman's Journal, Paris Correspondence. 



On the Value of Cotton-seed Cake as Food for Cattle. 



A WRITER in the Scotch Journal of Agriculture gives the following results of a series of 

 experiments in respect to the value of the cotton-seed cake as food for cattle and other 

 stock. The cake used was obtained from a quantity of cotton-seeds which had been pressed 

 in a mill near Edinburgh, for the purpose of extracting the oil contained in them. 



Before giving the details of the experiments^which seem to prove that the cotton-seed 

 cake is as valuable in some respects as oil meal, linseed cake, or bean meal, we would call 

 attention to the analysis of the cotton-seed cake, made by Dr. Anderson, as compared with 

 other feeding substances : 



It will be seen from this table that cotton-seed cake holds a respectable place as an 

 article of food for cattle ; while oats and barley, which are considered by some intelligent 

 and experienced feeders as equal, weight for weight, to linseed cake, are very deficient in 

 oil and albuminous compounds, the two most important constituents in any feeding-stuffs. 

 It is as well to mention, however, that this opinion has been disputed by many eminent 

 feeders. 



The parcel of cotton-seed cake used was of a yellowish-brown appearance, very brittle, 

 of an agreeable nutty flavor. We first tested, says the writer, its palatableness : pieces were 

 laid before cattle, sheep, and pigs, which devoured them with an avidity and relish seldom 

 manifested towards kinds of food to which they had not been accustomed. We next insti- 

 tuted an experiment with it : eight cattle, that had been fed on turnips and straw all winter, 

 were selected in the beginning of March ; four were fed on cotton-seed cake at the rate of 

 6 pounds per day to each, and the other four on a mixture composed of 2 pounds linseed 

 cake, 2 } pounds of bean meal, and 1 pound of treacle, with chaff, and a little salt ; both lots 

 got, besides, as many Swedish turnips and as much straw as they could eat. This feed 

 was continued for six weeks, at the end of which time, the quantity of cotton-seed cake being 

 nearly exhausted, the cattle were sold fat to a butcher, after the best two in the whole lot, 

 which were chosen from those fed on the cotton-seed cake, had obtained the premium for the 

 best fat at a district agricultural show. We considered this experiment favorable for the 

 cotton-seed cake, and, though somewhat vague and by no means rigidly conducted, it was 

 quite sufficient to warrant a more extended experiment. A new supply of seed having been 

 obtained, six cattle were selected which had been fed on turnips and straw up to the 10th 

 of January, when the experiment commenced ; two of them got, in addition to their turnips, 

 4 pounds of linseed cake ; two, 4 pounds of cotton-seed cake ; and two, 4 pounds of bean 



