84 EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



and grain without molasses, 55.1 per cent. ; with molasses, 63.1 

 per cent.). Patterson's results are quite the opposite of all 

 previous work along this line. 



II. EXPERIMENTS AT THE MASSACHUSETTS EXPERIMENT 



STATION. 



Experiments relative to the effect of Porto Rico molasses on 

 digestibility have been in progress at intervals at this station 

 since 1905. Different amounts of molasses have been added to 

 a basal ration of hay, of hay and corn meal, and particularly of 

 hay and gluten feed, llie experiments made during the winter 

 of 1905 and 1906 have been published in detail.^ The numerous 

 other experiments are here reported for the first time. 



Sheep were employed in all cases ; in Series XL and XII. 

 grade Southdown wethers were used, and in Series XIII. and 

 XIV. one and two year old Shropshires were employed. 



The hay was cut in 2-inch lengths before being fed, and was 

 largely Kentucky blue grass, with an admixture of some clover 

 and sweet vernal grass. The gluten feed represented the dried 

 residue of Indian corn (Zea mais) in the manufacture of corn- 

 starch, and consisted of the hulls and glutinous part of the corn, 

 together with that portion of the starch and broken germs which 

 could be removed by mechanical means. It was free from any 

 indication of decomposition. The corn meal consisted of the 

 ground corn kernels. 



The sheep were fed twice daily, — about 7 o'clock in the 

 morning and 5 in the afternoon. The molasses was mixed with 

 about its weight of water and sprinkled over the hay, or was 

 mixed with the grain and eaten without the addition of water. 

 The food was given in galvanized-iron pans which fitted closely 

 into the wooden stalls in which the sheep were confined.^ 

 Particles of cut hay that were thrown out of the box were care- 

 fully brushed up and returned. Any waste remaining at the 

 end of the period was preserved and analyzed. Water in gal- 

 vanized-iron boxes was always before the sheep. The faeces 

 were collected twice daily, preserved in wide-mouth glass- 



1 Nineteenth report of the Hatch Experiment Station, pp. 126-149. 



2 Illustratcil in eleventh report of the Massachusetts State Experiment Station, 1S93, 

 p. 148. 



