IMPORTANCE OF ADDING LIME. 141 



When it is desirable to feed the cossettes just after they leave Changes when 

 the presses, it is important that it be done as soon as possible, exposed to the 

 as they rapidly undergo transformation, due to bacteria absorbed air - 

 or taken from the air, which soon find in the cossettes an excel- 

 lent medium for their development. The micro-organisms also 

 existing will necessarily produce an objectionable fermentation, 

 which has no relation whatever to the healthy fermentation 

 occurring during the siloing. 



Cossettes exposed to the air soon give evidence of putrefaction, 

 which render them worthless for feeding purposes. Under no Not to be fed 

 circumstances is it recommended that cattle be fed with cossettes alone to live 

 alone. However, certain practical experiments have shown that stocl(t 

 no special evil effects arise from this practice; but their compo- 

 sition, as shown above, demonstrates that this residuum, like 

 all fodders, is not complete within itself. 



Exhausted cossettes are very poor in fatty and saline sub- Feeding value 

 stances. Their dry constituents consist mainly in non-nitrogen- of cossettes. 

 ous substances of only an average nutritive value, their carbo- 

 hydrates are mainly cellulose and penta-glucoses; but the 

 reasonable percentage of albuminoids w 7 hich the residuum 

 contains, renders this product a fresh and valuable fodder, not- 

 withstanding its heavy percentage of water, which necessarily 

 dilutes the nutritive substances. The deficiency of saline sub- 

 stances is partly overcome by the addition to the ration of a 

 small quantity of salt mixed with the cossettes, or, as is fre- 

 quently done, a large block of salt may be placed at the animals' 

 disposal, which they can lick to their hearts' content, their 

 appetite being thus stimulated. 



It is, upon general principles, desirable to add a certain Importance of 

 amount of lime or phosphoric acid in the form of phosphate, adding lime, 

 which is necessary for the building up of the bony tissues. As 

 to lime, it is sufficient to mix with the forage any calcareous 

 substance, such as carbonatation scum. This is essential, as 

 many who have had experience in the special subject of cattle- 

 feeding and dairying in general declare that when cheese is the 

 object in view T , lime should not be used too sparingly, as other- 

 wise the cheese would not be possessed of the essentials for 

 coagulation. On the other hand, the phenomenon of faulty 



