MASSACHUSETTS ANIMAL INDUSTRY jq^^ 



decrease the cost of treatment so that such materials could be handled 

 economically in large amounts. 



Work with Sawdust. 



Sawdust from various woods has been proved to be without value as a food 

 for domestic animals. Numerous investigations have been made and patents 

 issued for the conversion of this inert material into a cattle food. The method 

 of procedure in most cases has been tlie treatment of the sawdust with dilute 

 mineral acids under pressure, or treatment with alternate portions of acid 

 and alkali. These processes have resulted in converting more or less of the 

 cellulose and herai-celluloses into sugars. The cattle foods thus manufactured 

 have not met with any extensive use, and so far as we are aware, are not at 

 present on the market. Some time ago, the Forest Products Laboratory of 

 Ihe United States Department of Agriculture, located at Madison, Wisconsin, 

 carried on extensive investigations in the conversion of tiie sawdust from 

 several species of wood into more soluble forms, for the production of in^ 

 dustrial alcohol and as a possible source of cattle food. The Forest Products 

 Laboratory asked that the Massachusetts Experiment Station cooperate in 

 making a study of the feeding value of tlie product. The material was pre- 

 pared by them and shipped to this Station for study. 



Method of Preparation. 



The treatment consists in cooking tiie sawdust under 120 pounds pressure 

 with dilute sulfuric acid (1.8 per cent) which converts a portion of the cellix- 

 lose and allied substances into sugar. The liquor resulting from this treat- 

 ment, togetiier with water used in washing the residue, is neutralized with 

 lime, and evaporated under reduced pressure to a thick syrup and then mixed 

 witli the previously dried residue. The product when ready for feeding is a 

 dark brown, somewliat powdery meal, with a slight woody odor and a sweetish 

 woody flavor. The materials sent were prepared from the sawdust of Douglas 

 fir and white pine. 



The work at this station consisted in the making of numerous analyses of 

 the products, noting their palatability with dairy animals, determining their 

 digestibility and noting their feeding value for milk production. We present 

 below tlie results secured. 



1. The treated or prepared sawdust is composed of crude cellulose and 

 Kgnin together with some 28 per cent of sugars. 



2. Annuals will not eat the treated sawdust when fed by itself. In order 

 to promote consumption it is necessary to mix it with other grains. Occa- 

 sionally an animal will refuse to cat the mixture of which the sawdust is a 

 component. 



3. About 4 pounds daily is all that the mature dairy cow will consume, 

 especially if it is fed for any length of time. 



