37 



Every purchaser of concentrated feed stuffs realizes the great 

 variety of such substances that are offered for sale, and the 

 immense quantities that are being yearly consumed by our Massa- 

 chusetts farmers. Those enumerated in the preceding pages are the 

 most important ones now in our markets. Scarcely a year passes 

 but that several new articles, generally by-products from different 

 industries, of uncertain composition, find their way into the trade. 

 Now while these substances contain some of each of the several 

 groups of feed constituents — protein, fat and carbohydrates — 

 they are purchased chiefly for the protein they contain. The fod- 

 der crops grown by the farmer are nearly all rich in starchy mate- 

 rials, and he has recourse to these by-products to supplement his 

 home-grown starchy feeds, in order to produce well-balanced fodder 

 rations for his cattle. These various by-products contain from 10 

 to 45 per cent of protein, as well as from 3 to 20 per cent of fat. 

 Now an excess of fat in a concentrated feed is objectionable, be- 

 cause of its liability to produce inflammation of the udder (garget) . 

 A feed stuff containing from 7 to 9 per cent can be fed with a 

 greater degree of safety. An excess of by-products high in fat 

 and protein, fed to animals, is sure to cause trouble. It is, there- 

 fore, very important that the farmer should have the privilege of 

 knowing the amount of the important constituents contained in the 

 feed he is purchasing, and it is only fair play for the manufacturer 

 to state the quality of the goods he offers for sale. 



Again it is a fact that the larger mimber of these individual brands 

 of feed stuffs vary, from time to time, very seriously in composition. 

 This I desire to prove from actual analyses made at the Massachu- 

 setts Experiment Station within the last two years. 



Cotton-seed Meal. 



These poor quality meals were quite dark in color and contained 

 the hulls ground with the meat. They were usually offered at 

 from one to two dollars less per ton than prime meal, on the ground 



All analyses made in 1896. 



t Not determined. 



