180 FEEDS AND FEEDING 



The seeds of the soybean are the richest in crude protein of all the 

 various seeds used for feed, besides being rich in oil. Being highly di- 

 gestible, they contain fully as much digestible crude protein and con- 

 siderably more digestible fat than linseed meal. Because of the demands 

 for seed, soybeans have not yet been extensively employed in this coun- 

 try for feeding live stock. For dairy cows soybeans are slightly superior 

 to cottonseed meal, but as they cause soft butter they should be fed spar- 

 ingly. (600) For fattening cattle soybeans are only slightly inferior to 

 cottonseed meal. (754) Rich in protein and mineral matter, they are 

 well suited to growing animals. (856) Owing to their richness in 

 protein, soybeans should always be used in combination with carbon- 

 aceous concentrates. The seed should be ground for horses and cattle, 

 but this is unnecessary for sheep and pigs. In the South pigs are often 

 grazed on soybeans when nearly mature, thus saving the harvesting cost. 

 (989) For swine feeding, soybean oil meal, from which most of the 

 oil has been expressed, has given much better results than soybeans, 

 probably because soybeans are so rich in oil that they are utilized less 

 efficiently than the soybean oil meal. The merits of this plant for for- 

 age are discussed in Chapter XIV. (358) 



257. Soybean oil meal or cake. The residue after the oil has been ex- 

 pressed from soybeans carries as much digestible protein as choice cotton- 

 seed meal, 13 per ct. more carbohydrates, and somewhat less fat. During 

 recent years a considerable amount has been imported to the Pacific Coast 

 states from the Orient, for feeding poultry and dairy cattle. Thruout 

 the South, some mills have already begun to crush soybeans for the 

 oil. Hence increasing amounts of this feed will be available in this 

 country. Soybean oil meal is greatly esteemed by western dairymen and 

 is an excellent protein-rich feed for swine. (601, 977) 



258. The peanut and its by-products. The peanut, or earth nut, Arachis 

 hypogaea, called "pindar" or "goober" in the South, is now of great 

 importance for stock feeding in the southern states. The acreage has 

 increased from 869,887 acres in 1909 to 1,212,000 acres in 1921, the 

 yield of peanuts in the latter year being 816,465,000 Ibs. (362) The 

 underground seeds, or nuts, are commonly harvested by turning swine 

 into the fields when the seeds are ripe, and allowing them to feed at will. 

 Swine are also turned in to clean up the nuts which are left in the ground 

 when the crop is dug for the peanuts, or which are shattered from the 

 vines in harvesting. While a heavy allowance of peanuts produces soft 

 fat and inferior pork, entirely satisfactory ham and bacon are produced 

 when pigs are fed partially on peanuts. (979) On exposure to the air, 

 shelled peanuts soon become rancid. The vines with the nuts attached 

 may be pulled and cured into a nutritious, palatable hay. 



Peanut meal or cake, the by-product resulting from the manufacture 

 of oil from the peanut, is a common feed in Europe, where it has given 

 good results with all classes of stock. Meal from hulled peanuts con- 



