mixtures have been found to be sweet and of good quality in most 

 instances. While from the standpoint of nutrition they must be con- 

 sidered expensive, yet the profit to the manufacturers is probably not 

 excessive, because of the cost of cracking, screening and putting up 

 in small packages. They furnish, with the addition of a little meat 

 scrap, a very desirable food for the first four to six weeks of the life 

 of the chick. 



Poultry grains have been found to contain corn (whole and cracked), 

 wheat, kaffir corn, barle} . oats and sunflower seeds. Other constitu- 

 ents frequently observed are buckwheat, millet seed, peas, popcorn, 

 screenings, charcoal, shells and grit. In some cases the corn was 

 noticed to be of poor quality and the wheat shrunken. The average 

 price was $1.85 a hundred pounds. The consumer should carefully 

 observe before purchasing that the mixture is sweet and free from 

 screenings and grit. The writer prefers to buy corn, oats, barley 

 and wheat separately, believing it to be more economical. Mixtures 

 of the above grains of good quality can be had for $1.50 a hundred. 

 From the standpoint of economy, shells, grit and charcoal should 

 likewise be purchased by themselves. While poultry need a variety 

 of food, for economical reasons it is not advisable to feed too great 

 a proportion of oats, buckwheat and barley, because these 

 grains contain considerable woody fiber, which poultry are not able 

 to digest and assimilate. 



Red wheat ts. white wheat. It is doubtful if in case both varieties 

 are equally well developed, one is to be preferred above the other. 

 In fact, it is well known that both climate and soil have great in- 

 fiuence on the quality of wheat, and gradually modify varieties. 

 Shrunken wheat is likely to have relatively more protein in propor- 

 tion to the starch than plump wheat, for the reason that the latter 

 material has not had opportunity to become fully developed. 



Alfalfa and clover fneals are frequently found in the market. The 

 former will contain 14 to 15 per cent protein, and the latter about 

 12 to 13 per cent. Ground alfalfa tops will test 18 to 20 per cent 

 protein, and ground clover tops 15 to 16 percent. The tops are 

 much to be preferred for poultry. Poultrymen should grow their 

 own clover, cutting and curing it when in the bud. 



