DIGESTION EXPERIMENTS WITH SHEEP. 



319 



The alfalfa was quite free from foreign material. It represented the 

 third cutting, and was grown in the State of New York. It averaged in 

 drj'- matter 6.49 per cent, ash, 15.34 per cent, crude protein, 35.06 per 

 cent, fiber, 41.13 per cent, extract matter and 1.98 per cent, crude fat. 

 The results are satisfactory and are quite uniform with those previously 

 secured. The fiber in alfalfa hay has relatively a low, and the protein a 

 high, digestibility. 



Roots and Vegetables. 



It is generally assumed that roots and vegetables are quite fully di- 

 gested by animals. Relatively few digestion trials have been made to 

 determine the rate of digestibility and to note the effect, if any, of such 

 materials upon the digestibility of feeds with which they are fed. 



(a) Cabbages. 



The whole cabbage, the head minus the outside leaves, and the leaves 

 themselves were analyzed and digestion experiments carried out. The 

 whole cabbage contained 88.27 per cent, water, and its dry matter con- 

 sisted of 12.20 per cent, ash, 21.82 per cent, protein, 10.30 per cent, fiber, 

 53.76 per cent, extract matter and 1.92 per cent. fat. 



The heads minus leaves contained 90.34 per cent, water, and the dry 

 matter consisted of 8.22 per cent, ash, 17.98 per cent, protein, 9.84 per 

 cent, fiber, 62.77 per cent, extract matter and 1.19 per cent. fat. 



The outside leaves contained 80.95 per cent, water, and the dry matter 

 consisted of 14.49 per cent, ash, 11.94 per cent, protein, 13.12 per cent, 

 fiber, 58.04 per cent, extract matter and 2.41 per cent. fat. The exterior 

 leaves contained about twice as much dry matter as the heads. 



Cabbage is rich in protein, — in fact, considerably richer than the 

 legumes, — on an equal moisture basis. It is rich also in ash, particularly 

 the leaves, which may have been due in part to the adherence of soil 

 particles. The percentages of fiber and fat are relatively low. 



