1904.] 



PUBLIC DOCUMENT — \o. So. 



75 



digestibility. The sample of Merchants grains i)roved about 

 6 percent, more digestibh^ than the " Fourex " brand, due 

 probably to the character of the cereals used in the mash. 

 The dilference was principally in the extract matter. Com- 

 paring the coefficients obtained with Sheep III., the ditfer- 

 ence in case of the total dry matter is reduced to 4 per cent. 

 Marked ditferences are observed in the digestibility of the 

 fiber. Such variations in fiber diijestibilitv are character- 

 isticofall grains and grain by-products. This matter will 

 be referred to farther on. 



In this connection it will doubtless prove of interest to 

 summarize the results obtained at this station with 7 differ- 

 ent samples of distillers' grains : — 



The percentage of ash is low, as would naturally be ex- 

 pected. Its exact character has not been determined. The 

 protein percentage is relatively high, and varies consider- 

 ably, depending upon the material used. The brands offered 

 in Massachusetts have been guaranteed to contain 33 and 34 

 per cent. Considerable fiber is present, as a result of the 

 incorporated grain hulls. The fiber and extract matter must 

 show a very considerable amount of pentosans, although 

 determinations have not been made. The fat percentage is 

 quite high, being similar in quantity to that contained in 

 the corn gluten feed, before the corn oil was extracted. 



