CONCENTRATED FEEDS 121 



grown is covered with a strong husk. It is rich in carbo- 

 hydrates, and has slightly more protein than corn. It is 

 not commonly fed to farm animals in the United States, but 

 is very popular in northern Europe. Horses will do well on 

 barley, while barley meal as a feed for swine ranks very high 

 in Canada and Europe. Experiments have shown that pigs 

 fed barley make a superior quality of bacon. It should be 

 crushed or ground before feeding. 



Rye is quite similar to wheat in composition. It makes 

 a good feed for the same purposes for which wheat is used. 

 It has a somewhat stronger flavor than other grains, and, 

 when fed to dairy cows, tends to give an objectionable taste 

 to milk. If fed, it should be given right after milking. 



Linseed meal is the product of flaxseed. This seed con- 

 tains about 30 per cent of oil. The manufacturers of linseed 

 oil grind the seed, and extract the oil by pressure, leaving 

 long, brown, board-like cakes, as a by-product. These are 

 broken up, or ground, and fed as linseed cake or linseed meal. 

 It contains about 30 per cent of digestible protein and about 

 78 per cent of digestible nutrients. All farm animals are 

 most fond of this product, and it is used to some extent by 

 many feeders. It softens the skin of animals and gives a 

 silky lustre to the hair. It is often used in so-called con- 

 dition powders, to make up much of the bulk of them. It 

 should form from one tenth to one fifth of the ration, accord- 

 ing as the need exists for a highly concentrated feed to bal- 

 ance the ration. 



Cottonseed meal is a by-product of the cottonseed oil 

 mills. About one fifth of the seed is oil. The usual custom 

 is to remove the hard covering, or hull, of the seed, and then 

 press a dark brownish oil from the meats, which, when re- 

 fined, becomes an attractive golden yellow. The by-product 

 remains as long, yellow, board-like cakes. It is one of the 

 most concentrated and valuable feeds that we have. Small 

 particles of hulls are to be found in the cake, and the greater 



