98 EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



pounds of digestible organic matter in one ton, and as a food 

 has about 75 per cent, of the value of corn meal. The partic- 

 ularly favorable efiect of molasses as an appetizer, etc., natur- 

 ally is not included in the above estimate of its worth ; neither 

 does its lack of protein as compared with corn meal nor the 

 extra cost and bother of handling enter into the calculation. 



Tlie value of molasses feeds was summarized under composi- 

 tion, digestibility, for milk production and as compared with 

 home-mixed grain rations. 



It was shown that these feeds were composed of oat and bar- 

 ley residues, partly ground grain screenings and malt sprouts 

 in many cases, one-fourth to one-third molasses, and sufficient 

 gluten feed and cotton-seed meal to supply the protein guar- 

 antied. 



The total dio-estible orsranic nutrients contained in molasses 

 feeds are in excess of those contained in wheat bran, but no- 

 ticeably below those contained in flour middlings and gluten 

 feed. The amount of protein contained in bran, middlings and 

 gluten feed is decidedly greater than in the average of the 

 several molasses feeds. The latter class of feeds may be said 

 to be only moderately digestible. 



No advantage is to be gained from feeding molasses feeds in 

 place of home mixtures of standard concentrates. Digestible 

 protein in the former feeds is decidedly more expensive, and 

 digesti])le matter can generally be purchased for less money in 

 the home mixtures. 



The fact that many of the prepared molasses feeds contain 

 considerable quantities of unground weed seeds is a decided 

 argument against their use. Weed seeds pass through the 

 animal undigested, and are distributed with the manure and 

 greatly increase the cost of subsequent cultivation. 



The Digestibility of Proprietary Cattle Feeds. 



A considerable number of mixtures of various by-products 

 are oflTered as ready rations for dairy stock. Among these may 

 be mentioned Buflfalo creamery feed, Chapin's alfalfa meal. 

 Biles union grains, H. O. and (Quaker dairy feeds, Protena, 

 Schumacher's stock feed, Sucrene, Green Diamond and IIol- 

 stein sugar feeds. In addition to an analysis, the degree of 



