December, 1909.] FEEDING-STUFFS. 171 



Hence a shrewd jobber can make increased profits by put- 

 ting out a second-rate meal for the price of a first-rate arti- 

 cle and maintain a reputation for square dealing by offer- 

 ing rebates, which can seldom be claimed. The consumer 

 will be safe to avoid brands that inspection reports show to 

 be inferior to the guarantees. 



The attention of feeders needs to be given especially to 

 the relation between prices and percentages of nutrients. 

 Standard concentrated feeding-stuff's — cottonseed meal, 

 distillers' grains, gluten feed and iiux meal — ranged in 

 price from $1.65 to $1.75 per one hundred pounds. There 

 were but two of the compound feeds that sold for less than 

 $1.50 per one hundred pounds, while many of them cost 

 as much as the standard concentrates. 



Every feeder knows the value of cottonseed meal, gluten 

 feed, bran and so forth. The value of a ready mixed grain 

 ration is uncertain, therefore there should be an effort on the 

 part of consumers to bear the prices of such rations down- 

 ward to a wider margin between themand standard materials. 



A notable feature of the inspection this year is the 

 marked increase in the number of brands of poultry foods, 

 especially of the grain mixtures. A study of prices is in- 

 teresting, since it shows they cost from $2 to $2.50 per one 

 hundred pounds. Of the grains, wheat, oats, barley, corn 

 and so forth, wheat was the only one which sold as high as 

 $2 per one hundred pounds at retail. It is asserted over and 

 over again, that the farmer must grade his products or else 

 be satisfied with the price of the poorest article for the lot. 



In the feed business, it seems that the farmer is paying 

 the price of the best ingredient for the whole mixture. 



The following table gives the list of brands of feeding- 

 stuff's, together with their guarantees and the percentages 

 found. All samples were collected b}^ Mr. Albert J. Rich- 

 ardson, agent of the State Board of Agriculture, and credit 

 is due ]\Iessrs. W. L. Adams and C. II. Reynolds for the 

 analytical work. 



Only four of the brands of cottonseed meal were duly 

 licensed ; but protein was determined in the other seven and 

 they are included in the table. 



