DIGESTION EXPERIMENTS WITH SHEEP. 



313 



bran. It seemed worth while in this connection to get at the digestibility 

 of the Diamond gUiten meal. In order to accomplish this the digestion 

 coefficients found for the hay were applied to the hay consumed, and to 

 the resulting product was added the amount of starch consumed, which 

 was assumed to be entirely digested. The sum of the hay and starch 

 digested was taken from the total amount digested, and the remainder 

 represented the gluten meal digested. The coefficients used for the hay 

 in case of Series XIX. represented an average of those secured by using 

 the results from Sheep I., II., V. and VI., all of which agreed closely. 

 Those used in Series XXI. were the average of those for Sheep VII., VIII., 

 IX., X. and XI., as IV., V. and VI. had not been used in getting the 

 digestibility of this lot of ha5^ The coefficients for the hay were as 

 follows : — 



The nutritive ratio of the basal ration in Series XIX. averaged 1:6.5 

 and in Series XXI., 1:6.8. 



In passing, attention is called to the fact that the ash, fiber and fat 

 content of gluten meal are quite low, showing less than 2 per cent, of 

 each on a dry-matter basis, and the coefficients secured were, as might 

 be expected, of uncertain value, although it is reasonable to assume that 

 these several constituents were quite fully digested. 



The content of protein and extract matter, on the other hand, on the 

 basis of dry matter, was 45 and 50 per cent., respectively, showing this 

 feedstuff to be made of these two food groups in nearly equal proportions. 



A study of the coefficients secured shows some "uade variations. Sheep 

 III., Series XIX., for some reason gave quite low results, and in Series 

 XXL, Sheep V gave results considerably above the others. In making 

 the average, therefore, it seemed "wise to omit the coefficients obtained 

 with these two sheep. The results show the gluten meal to have a high 

 digestibility; in fact, it is believed that if a method sufficiently accurate 

 were available it could be shown that the meal was practically all utilized. 



The coefficients given for previous results represent eight single trials 

 with four different lots, and were secured a number of years ago with 

 gluten meal made by a little different process and averaging 40 per cent, 

 protein and 54 per cent, extract matter in dry matter. The latter co- 

 efficients are ia substantial accord with those recently secured. 



