EXPERIMENTS IN FEEDING BEETS. 79 



During visits to agricultural fairs in several farming cen- 

 tres of the country, it has frequently been noticed that the 

 rural population are attracted by these giant beets. Their use 

 should be absolutely abandoned. If farmers persist in using 

 mangolds let them be cultivated in rows much nearer together 

 than they now are. The texture of the roots thus obtained will 

 be firmer and the dry matter percentage much higher, which 

 means a far greater fattening efficiency than has hitherto been 

 realized. 



If we admit that one acre of land, under favorable conditions, Sugar-beets 

 yields two and one-half tons of clover-hay, or about 5,000 more P rotitable 

 pounds, it would be sufficient to feed a milch cow for ^SL= 

 171 days, assuming that a cow's daily average consumption is 

 35 pounds, which figure is allowable. The total digestible 

 nutrients which this ration contains is 16.45 pounds. Ten tons 

 of sugar-beets contain 3,560 pounds of digestible nutrient, or 

 sufficient to feed a cow for ^ = 215 days, showing that the 

 resulting theoretical nutritive product from one acre would feed 

 a cow 44 days longer, if beets were grown rather than hay. 



Experiments in Feeding Beets to COTVS and Slieep in Preliminary re. 

 tlie United States. marks. 



We are convinced that the introduction of the sugar beet into 

 farming centers of the country is destined to bring about great 

 changes in the existing dairying process. Milk and butter will 

 become cheaper than they now are, and the community at large 

 will be benefited. To have during the winter months a fodder 

 such as beet-pulp refuse from a factory, that may be purchased 

 for a nominal sum, has advantages for stall-fed cattle that no 

 other feed (possibly excepting corn ensilage) can offer. 



Before discussing the question in all its details it is important 

 to know 7 first what has been done in feeding beets to farm 

 animals in the United States. It is to be regretted that no more 

 than a passing interest has been taken in this important subject 

 by the leading experiment stations of the country. Most of the 

 directors of stations realize that the question has been neglected, 

 and they propose giving it, in the not-distant future, the atten- 

 tion it deserves. On the other hand, the Ohio experiment sta- 



