178 The Sugar-Beet in America 



about 7.2 per cent being present. These salts, together 

 with organic substances, give the molasses a disagree- 

 able taste and a laxative action, which makes it unsuitable 

 for human use and for animals when used in large quan- 

 tities. When properly combined with other feeds and 

 slowly introduced into the ration, it furnishes a desirable 

 nutrient for fattening animals. For most stock, molas- 

 ses is first diluted with water and then sprinkled on the 

 roughage with which it is to be fed. In Europe, peat, 

 which has no food value in itself, is sometimes used as 

 roughage. Stock will eat large quantities of straw when 

 sprinkled with molasses and do well on it. When pur- 

 chased in combination with other feed, it is usually in the 

 form of dried-molasses beet pulp. Molasses is a valu- 

 able material to feed with alfalfa hay because its high 

 carbohydrate content balances the high protein of the 

 alfalfa. 



Alfalfa leaves and molasses are about equal to grain for 

 feed and cost much less. To begin with, only about one- 

 fourth of the full amount of molasses should be fed. 

 This may be increased gradually to the full ration. It is 

 a violent purgative when fed in excessive quantities or 

 when introduced too rapidly into the ration; but if 

 properly fed, its tonic action allows the best use to be 

 made of a large quantity of rough food tliat might not 

 otherwise be utilized. It should not be fed to brood 

 animals in quantities large enough to cause great activity 

 of the bowels, as this is likely to cause abortion. For 

 fattening purposes, it is worth six to eight times its weight 

 of wet pulp. 



The use of molasses for fattening beef cattle is increas- 



