PREPARATION OF FEEDING-STUFFS 141 



a useful purpose. Food treated in this way is not 

 more digestible ; rather the opposite, for in experi- 

 ments with steamed meadow hay and scalded wheat 

 bran the crude protein was less digestible. It was 

 found in fact that whilst 46 % of the crude protein 

 of the hay and 77 % of that in the bran were digest- 

 ible the amount sank in the steamed hay to 30%, 

 and in the scalded bran to 70-74%. These differ- 

 ences are still more pronounced where superheated 

 steam is allowed to act upon the food. According 

 then to these observations the above methods 

 should never be employed where sound, palatable, 

 and easily digestible food is given. Treatment with 

 hot water or steam may be of service with chaff 

 containing rust spores, diseased plants, mouldy 

 fodder, etc. etc., and may render some parts of the 

 food available. It should not be forgotten either 

 that in this way weed seeds and spores of fungi are 

 killed and so prevented from again finding their 

 way to the field in the dung. 



Some food-stuffs like potatoes are more valuable 

 when cooked or steamed, as will be mentioned later, 

 but such treatment yields a tasteless, relaxing diet, 

 which is most suitable for pigs. Fattening cattle 

 and dairy stock may also get cooked food, but 

 young or working animals should only be given 

 small quantities. In any case Care must be taken 

 that such food does not cause more water to be 

 brought into the body than is necessary, for exces- 



