BEETS AND PULP COMPARED. 69 



the preparation of rations in which beets are the basis. The 

 operation requires considerable care, because if the proper heat- 

 ing limit is passed, the fodder becomes unfit food for cattle. 

 The manner of conducting the fermentation process should de- 

 pend upon the ambient temperature. It has been suggested 

 that a series of boxes be placed near the animals being fed, 

 wherein the mixture of sliced beets, chopped straw, (9 Ibs. 

 beets for 1 Ib. straw), etc., is placed; each box to contain a 

 quantity corresponding to the ration of the particular animal 

 (sheep 11 Ib. mixture plus J Ib. oil cake) being fattened. 

 When feeding-time arrives the mass should have undergone a 

 fermentation that gives the best results, as determined by ex- 

 perience. 



The main object of this process is to soften those portions of Maceration, 

 a fodder that would not be readily acted upon by gastric juice. 

 When in contact with water these particles swell and break 

 open, greatly increasing their digestibility. The influence of 

 water upon a mixture of sliced beets and straw is made evident 

 by the fact, that when the operation is thoroughly performed, 

 the digestibility is increased nearly 50 per cent. Maceration 

 may render excellent service in case of feeding mother beets to 

 cattle; these, after the seed stalk has been cut off, are more 

 fibrous in their composition than normal beets. Roots of this 

 kind contain very little sugar, considerable ash, and are very 

 watery. 



Comparative Experiments. 



A series of experiments were made in France some years since Beets and pulp 

 to determine practically whether sugar beets direct from the 

 field had any advantage over pulp obtained from factory. In 

 these practical trials ten cows of about the same weight were used; 

 the five fed with beets weighed 5,100 Ibs., the five fed with pulp 

 weighed about the same. During the experiment one half 

 received 172^- tons of beets and the other 189 \ tons of pulp. 

 The five cows fed with beets gave 1,136 quarts milk that con- 

 tained an average of 39.9 per cent, fatty substance; the five fed 

 with pulp yielded 1,104 quarts milk testing 33.9 per cent, fatty 

 substance. 



