1907.] 



PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 33. 



155 



Summari) of Coefficients {Per Cent.). 



Periods XII., XV. ami XVI. 

 [Red Wheat.] 



[A\Tiite Wheat.] 



[Feed Barley.] 



The grains were ground in each case before being fed. 

 Both varieties of wheat were well digested; the white wheat 

 appeared to have been slightly better digested than the red. 

 The barley was likewise quite fully digested, showing 89 per 

 cent, of digestible dry matter and 88 per cent, of digestible 

 protein. The ratio of digestible protein to carbohydrates in 

 the red wheat was 1 to 9 ; in the white wheat, 1 to 7.4 ; and 

 in the barley, 1 to 6.8. The increased digestibility of the 

 protein in the white wheat and feed barley over that contained 

 in the red wheat is due probably to the relatively higher 

 percentage of protein in the latter two grains, and conse- 

 quently in the two total rations.^ It is believed that the 

 protein in ordinary grains (maize, wheat and barley) is 

 equally and quite fully digested, providing it is fed in a 

 ration having a ratio of 1 to 8 or less ; and that the apparent 



1 For every 100 grams of dry matter fed, a reasonably definite amount of nitrogenous 

 metabolic by-products are egested, mixed with the faeces, whether the ration is ricli or 

 poor in protein. It follows, therefore, that the smaller the amount of protein in the 

 total ration the smaller will i)e the amount of protein left (digested) after these by- 

 products v.'hich are included in the fajces have been deducted. 



