BREEDS OF BEEF CATTLE 329 



Mixing the grain with the roughage compels the steer to spend 

 more time in chewing his ration than when the grain is fed alone. 

 The mixed grain and roughage is held in the paunch, where most of 

 the water drank by the steer is stored, and the water thoroughly 

 softens the mixed feed. The lengthening of the time needed to 

 chew the feed and the holding in the stomach gives the saliva a 

 longer time in which to change starch to sugar. After the mixed 

 feed has become soft it is returned to the mouth as the cud, and the 

 chewing of the cud grinds the grain to greater fineness, putting it in 

 such shape that the digestive juices of the stomach and intestines can 

 better act on it. The result is that a larger portion of the grain is 

 made of use in building up the body of the steer ; a less portion of the 

 grain is undigested. The steer gains more for each bushel of grain 

 eaten, better digestion keeps his body in better health, and scouring 

 is avoided. It is obvious that the best results will be obtained where 

 the feed is so well mixed that every mouthful which the steer takes 

 is part grain and part roughage. (Kansas B. 112.) 



USE OF PULP. 



It should be stated that the attempts to compute the cash value 

 of pulp compared with other foods do not indicate its total value. It 

 supplies a succulent food at a time when such food is either not avail- 

 able or is scarce, and its effect on stock seems to be much more favor- 

 able than either its chemical analysis or the return in increased meat 

 or milk would indicate. To its actual nutritive effect as a food should 

 be added its general effect on the quality of meat and milk and on 

 the animal system. Pulp undoubtedly overcomes much injurious 

 effects of dry and concentrated foods, puts the system in good 

 sanitary condition, keeps off disease, ana so aids the appetite and 

 digestion and assimilation of food that there is less waste, both of 

 food which is generally discarded in eating, and that which usually 

 passes through the animal undigested. 



There seems to be no difficulty in regard to keeping beet pulp. 

 While there is some loss of material when placed in open piles, the 

 fermentation which takes place seems to be beneficial rather than 

 otherwise. Animals eat the sour pulp as well, and after a little time 

 even better than they do the pulp fresh from the factory, and the dry 

 beet chips on the surface of the piles are very palatable to sheep and 

 cattle. Nebraska feeders claim that pulp which has been left in open 

 piles for two or three years is as good as ever. 



No injurious effects have been observed from feeding pulp, un- 

 less too large amounts are given before the animals become accus- 

 tomed to it. The Michigan Station warns feeders against too liberal 

 use of pulp from frozen beets. Freezing does not seem to injure the 

 pulp itself, except that it probably does not pay to feed large amounts 

 of frozen pulp in cold weather, as the animal must expend much food 

 energy to raise the temperature of the pulp to the heat of the body. 



During the past spring the Denver papers gave an account of 

 catties' mouths becoming sore from eating pulp, claiming that the 

 injury was produced by acids added to the pulp in the process of 

 manufacture. This is hardly possible, as the pulp is subjected to 



