144 FEEDING WITH SUGAR BEETS, SUGAR, ETC. 



be used, as death may ensue. No one has yet discovered the 

 form of bacteria responsible for the trouble. 



The saturation of pulps with alcoholic vapors is rather an 

 advantage, as the cattle eat it with considerable avidity. The 

 excess of alcohol in beet pulps is never as great with diffusion 

 cossettes as with the hydraulic-press residuum, for the simple 

 reason that the latter contains more sugar that could generate 

 alcohol. During the period when presses were used as a means 

 of extracting the juice from pulp during the regular process of 

 manufacture, one would constantly hear of actual intoxication, 

 the animals falling to the ground and remaining in an almost 

 comatose state for a considerable time. After the effects had 

 passed off they would rise and eat as if nothing had occurred. 

 These alcoholic pulps would, after a time, cause cerebral com- 

 plications. Before that period is reached the flesh has depre- 

 ciated in value; this is, however, a difficulty at present almost 

 unknown. 



Beet pulp disease. A few years since it was noticed that in certain parts of 

 France cows fed on well combined rations were suffering from 

 certain organic complications. A young bull being fattened 

 became suddenly ill. No cause could be attributed for the 

 same. After death the animal was examined and found to 

 have suffered from serious stomach and intestinal complications. 

 Fortunately such instances are of rare occurrence, but it was 

 discovered that the pulp used was from a very old silo. 



The toxic elements existing, that will necessarily cause physi- 

 cal complications if taken into the system, are tl;e outcome of 

 the early stages of decay of the product fed. The objectionable 

 microbes are found mainly in the water running off. At first 

 the animals suffering from the disease are very restless; severe 

 colics soon manifest themselves, and considerable suffering and 

 pain always accompany these troubles. The most objectionable 

 pulps are those that have been stored for a period of months. 

 Practical experiments show that if the kept residuum is heated 

 to 212 F., all the microbes they contain are destroyed. This, 

 in fact, applies to most bacteria. This mode cannot be prac- 

 tically applied. Sodic chlorid or common salt offers one of 

 the very best means of destroying objectionable microbes. This 



