DANGERS OF FEEDING BEET PULPS. 143 



No general rule can be given as to the best methods for feeding, HOW to feed 

 as they depend upon the special circumstance of the locality, beet pulps. 

 Siloed pulp, upon general principles, being better than the fresh, 

 the farmer has every reason to give the silo his best possible 

 attention. The ration should vary with the special animal to 

 be fed; and samples of rations should not be considered as 

 standard, but taken simply as guiding points in the experiment. 

 With fresh pulps suitable quantities of oil cake should always 

 be used, taking the precaution to mix them with a certain 

 amount of chopped straw and fermenting the same in special 

 vats. 



Under these circumstances it is found desirable, to accelerate 

 the fermentation by the addition of a small quantity of tepid 

 water. It is well to have two vats, one fermenting while feed- 

 ing from the other. To avoid hot water in excess, a slow heat- 

 ing of the mass is highly recommended by some; the effect of 

 this system appears to be most satisfactory. 



Under certain circumstances live stock may decline the Dangers of 

 cossettes; then a mild system of starvation may be- adopted. '^"9 beet 

 This method, however, from the w r riter's point of view, can 

 never be made profitable, as the loss of weight could not be 

 compensated by the economy in the cost of fodder used. The 

 addition of condiments is one of the best methods; a little salt 

 water frequently answers the purpose, and diluted molasses is 

 most excellent. It may be desirable to mix with the pulp a 

 very tempting fodder, and to diminish this gradually. 



In the whole question of feeding beet pulps to cattle there are 

 important facts not to be overlooked. When the pulp is fed 

 fresh the main difficulty is overfeeding, or not properly prepar- 

 ing the ration to meet the requirements of the special case under 

 consideration. Siloed pulps undergo organic changes during 

 their keeping; first, they may become mouldy, second, saturated 

 with excess of alcoholic vapors, and third, attacked by a certain 

 disease known as pulp malady. The portions of siloed pulp that 

 become mouldy are generally at the top, being more in contact 

 with the air. Distillery pulp owing to its acidity keeps longer, 

 consequently many conclude that a slight acidity is rather 

 desirable. It is a great mistake to allow any mouldy pulp to 



