248 THE CHEMISTRY OF CATTLE FEEDING 



amounts of watery foods must tend to depress the digesti- 

 bility of the nutrients as a result of the excessive dilution 

 of the juices. 



Practical farmers, however, attach very little importance 

 to these considerations. The majority seem to believe that 

 watery foods even in large amounts are neither uneconomical 

 nor objectionable on physiological grounds. There are, of 

 course, other reasons, previously mentioned, why milk cows 

 and fattening cattle should receive a certain amount of dry 

 (concentrated) food, but there seems to be no valid reason 

 why store animals should not be fed entirely upon watery 

 foods provided the same contain a sufficient amount of 

 protein for their maintenance. 



The succulent and watery foods generally have a certain 

 laxative effect, and they are relished by the animals. The 

 large quantities which are required are very heavy to handle. 

 It would not be profitable to transport them to any con- 

 siderable distance. They are, however, almost invariably 

 home grown, and to a large extent they are consumed in the 

 field. 



Roots. In England the ordinary root crops are cultivated 

 as biennials. The whole of the first season is devoted to 

 vegetation, and the large amount of material formed is stored 

 up in the bulbous roots against the time of seed formation. 

 This material consists mainly of carbohydrates, together with 

 a certain amount of nitrogenous substance and a very small 

 amount of fat it is, therefore, suitable for nutrition of animals. 

 This material is formed in the leaves and subsequently trans- 

 ferred to the roots. When the leaves are completely exhausted 

 they die' and drop off. Those which remain green until the 

 crop is " pulled " are probably of more value as a source of 

 humus in the soil than as food for animals. They are of 

 fibrous structure, and any nutrients they may still contain are 

 probably difficultly digestible. As there is practically no stem, 

 it is only the bulbous root that is of value as a cattle food. 



The roots consist of a strong outer shell or rind of lignified 

 fibre in which the nutritive substances mentioned above are 

 enclosed. They usually contain in the neighbourhood of 



