1907.] 



PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 33, 



155 



Summary of Coefficients (^Per Cent.). 



Periods XII., XV. and AT/. 

 [Red Wheat.] 



[White Wheat.] 



[Feed Barlej^] 



The grains were ground in each case before being fed. 

 Both varieties of wheat were well digested; the wdiite wheat 

 appeared to have been slightly better digested than the red. 

 The barley was likewise quite fully digested, showing 89 per 

 cent, of digestible dry matter and 88 per cent, of digestible 

 protein. The ratio of digestible protein to carbohydrates in 

 the red wheat was 1 to 9 ; in the white wheat, 1 to 7.4 ; and 

 in the barley, 1 to 6.8. The increased digestibility of the 

 protein in the white wheat and feed barley over that contained 

 in the red wheat is due probably to the relatively higher 

 percentage of protein in the latter two grains, and conse- 

 quently in the two total rations.^ It is believed that the 

 protein in ordinary grains (maize, wheat and barley) is 

 equally and quite fully digested, providing it is fed in a 

 ration having a ratio of 1 to 8 or less ; and that the apparent 



1 For every 100 grams of dry matter fed, a rea8onal)ly definite amount of nitrogenous 

 metabolic by-products are cgested, mixed with tlic faeces, whetlier the ration is rich or 

 poor in protein. It follows, therefore, that the smaller the amount of ])rotein in the 

 total ration the smaller will be the amount of i)rotein left (digested) after these by- 

 products which are included in the lieces have been deducted. 



