THE DIGESTIBILITY OF CATTLE FOODS. 117 



It is intended to repeat these experiments, using a basal 

 ration with a narrower ratio. 



The two samples of fish were composed of approximately 20 

 per cent, ash, from 60 to 70 per cent, protein, and 3 and 10 

 per cent, fat, respectively. Its chief value, from a nutritive 

 standpoint, consists in the amount of digestible protein and fat. 

 In view of the prices usually prevailing for fish, it is doubtful 

 if it would prove particularly economical as a food for animals 

 in place of nitrogenous concentrates of vegetable origin. 



Molassine Meal. 

 This is an English product now being extensively sold in 

 ^Massachusetts. It is composed of from 25 to 30 per cent, of 

 sphagnum moss and from 70 to 75 per cent, of cane or beet 

 molasses. The moss, according to the manufacturers, comes 

 from the upper layers of large bogs in Yorkshire, Eng. Such 

 material, as time passes, decays and forms peat. A sample of 

 the dried sphagnum moss was found to analyze as follows : — 



Per Cent. 



Water, 11.45 



Protein, 2.72 



Fat, 1.18 



Nitrogen-free extract, 43 . 82 



Fiber, 39.74 



Ash, 1.09 



It is doubtful if the moss has any particular nutritive prop- 

 erties;^ hence, the nutritive value of the feed consists in the 

 amount of molasses present. The larger part of the crude 

 protein found in Molassine meal exists in the form of amids. 



• Kellner and Pfeiffer have shown that peat is without nutritive value. 



