THE FEEDING STUFFS 589 



the United States, while in certain regions the manufacture 

 from sugar cane is an important industry. 



Sugar-beet pulp. The sugar is extracted from the finely 

 cut beets by means of water in what is known as the diffusion 

 process. The residue from this constitutes what is commonly 

 known as beet pulp, which is essentially sugar beets minus the 

 sugar and some of the other soluble substances. In the fresh 

 state it contains 90 to 95 per cent of water, which may be re- 

 duced to about 85 to 87 per cent by pressing. Its general 

 properties are similar to those of roots and it occupies much the 

 same place in the ration. Its digestible matter consists chiefly 

 of carbohydrates belonging to the group of pectins and gums, 

 somewhat inferior to the sugar of the beets but, according to 

 recent investigation, fully as valuable as the digestible matter 

 of mangels. The wet beet pulp is too heavy to bear long trans- 

 portation, but may be preserved in the neighborhood of the 

 factory by ensiling. It is now, however, dried and put on the 

 market as dried beet pulp, containing not more than 5 to 10 

 per cent of water. The dried pulp is relatively about equally 

 valuable with the wet pulp, especially if soaked in water, as it 

 should be before feeding. 



Molasses. In the further manufacture of sugar either from 

 sugar beets or sugar cane, there remains, as a final residue, the 

 molasses. This contains 20 to 25 per cent of water, approxi- 

 mately 50 per cent of sugar, scarcely more than one-half per 

 cent of true protein, and 8 to 10 per cent of non-protein, along 

 with other substances of doubtful nutritive value. It is essen- 

 tially a source of easily soluble carbohydrates, principally 

 sugar. Beet molasses, in particular, has a marked laxative 

 action, commonly ascribed to the potassium salts present in it 

 but perhaps due quite as much to the sugar. For this reason, 

 care is required to accustom animals to it gradually and not to 

 overfeed with it. Its laxative qualities are said to be valuable 

 when used in small amounts for horses in preventing attacks of 

 colic. 



Molasses feeds. Owing to its physical properties, molasses 

 is an inconvenient material to handle. To avoid this difficulty, 

 the so-called molasses feeds have been put on the market. 

 These consist of molasses dried down on some suitable material. 

 A large number of concentrated feeding stuffs have been used 



