322 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 181. 



cent. fat. They are low in protein, fiber and fat, and quite high in ash 

 and in extract matter. 



In the first and second experiments they were fed in combination with 

 hay, and constituted about 30 per cent, of the total dry matter which 

 had a nutritive ratio of 1 :10 to 1 :13.6. In the third experiment they were 

 fed together with hay and gluten feed, and composed about 15 per cent, 

 of the dry matter of the ration, which had a nutritive ratio of 1 :7.6. Sheep 

 IV, in Series XX., Period 8, showed such a low rate of digestibility that 

 the results were not included in the average. With this exception the 

 coefficients resulting from the hay and carrot combination agree reasonably 

 well, and show 88.76 per cent, of the dry matter to have been digested. 

 The protein and extract matter are also shown to have been quite well 

 assimilated. The fat is so small in amount that the results have no 

 particular meaning. In most cases a high fiber digestibility is observed; 

 in fact, more was apparently digested than was consumed. 



Where the carrots were fed with hay and gluten feed more of the dry 

 matter was apparently digested than was fed. Thus one observes co- 

 efficients of 117 for the dry matter, 107 protein, 145 fiber and 116 extract 

 matter. This, it is believed, was due to the coefficients used for the 

 digestibility of the basal ration, composed of hay and gluten feed. These 

 coefficients for some reason averaged only 62.43 for the dry matter, as 

 against 68.4, the average for all of the other experiments. If, however, 

 one uses the average figure of 68.4, the coefficients for the dry matter of 

 the carrots vary from 67.4 to 101.66. 



The coefficients as a whole indicate that carrots were quite fully utilized, 

 and that they seemed to improve the digestibility of the basal ration with 

 which they were fed. It is proposed to study this matter more fully. 



(c) Mangels. 

 Summary of Coefficients of Mangels. 



Four single trials were carried out with one lot of mangels which con- 

 tained 83.10 per cent, of water, — ^less than is found usually in this root. 

 In the dry matter there was 6.10 per cent, ash, 5.84 per cent, protein, 



