326 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 181. 



This material represents the sawdust or shavings from the vegetable 

 ivory, or the corozo nut {Phytelephas niacrocarpa). A complete report 

 on its composition, digestibility and feeding value has been published 

 elsewhere. 1 The details of the several digestion tests, however, were not 

 given. The nut is used in the manufacture of buttons and similar ma- 

 terials; the residue is practically tasteless and of a tough, horny nature. 

 Animals will not eat it when fed by itself, but usually consume it readily 

 if mixed with one or more grains. It averaged in composition 10.76 per 

 cent, water, and in dry matter 1.25 per cent, ash, 5.36 per cent, crude 

 protein, 8.01 per cent, fiber, 84.37 per cent, extract matter and 1.01 per 

 cent. fat. Its extract or carbohydrate matter is nearly all in the form of 

 mannan, yielding mannose on hydrolysis. 



The material in all cases was fed with 550 grams of hay and 150 grams 

 of gluten feed as a basal ration, and constituted some 30 per cent, of the 

 total ration. 



A glance at the results show that the coefficients secured in Period 13 

 (hitherto unpublished) are noticeably above the others. This is believed 

 to have been caused by the use of the coefficients secured for a basal ration 

 of hay and gluten feed, which gave 62 as the digestibility of the dry matter 

 as against 66 for the basal ration of hay and gluten feed employed in the 

 other e.xperiments. The average of the coefficients secured in Periods 5 

 and 3 (as published) gave 84 for the dry matter and 92 for the extract 

 matter, and are believed to be more nearly correct. 



The coefficients secured for the protein, fiber and fat are not surprising, 

 in view of the smallness of the amounts present in the ivory meal in com- 

 parison with the total amounts of these ingredients consumed. The 

 larger part of the ivory meal consists of carbohydrate matter, and it was 

 quite well digested. How the mannan was decomposed in the digestive 

 tract is not clear; it was found, however, to have largely disappeared in 

 the feces. The ivory meal evidently is as fully digested as corn meal, and 

 our published results of experiments with dairy animals demonstrate it to 

 have considerable nutritive value. 



Summary of Coefficients of Vinegar Grains. 



1 Beals and Lindsey: Journal of Agricultural Research, Vol. VII., No. 7. 



