226 FEEDING WITH SUGAR BEETS, SUGAR, ETC. 



In Michigan, when there were only ten factories, they offered 

 their combined pulp production to the stock yards of Chicago, 

 simply asking that it be hauled away. It seems almost laugh- 

 able that they did not avail themselves of it at once, but pre- 

 ferred to make investigations and thus the opportunity was lost. 

 Nearly 50,000 head of cattle could have been fattened under 

 most favorable conditions. 



Michigan experi- The Michigan State College Experiment Station has given the 

 ment station, question of sugar beet cossettes serious attention, and an out- 

 line of the conclusions relating to the same is of great interest. 

 Since the establishment of the several beet sugar factories in the 

 State, a new stock feed has been placed at the disposal of the 

 farmers. There is an urgent claim that the farmers have the 

 product delivered to them containing 20 per cent, dry matter; 

 this by usual means of pressing is hardly to be expected. In 

 Michigan alone, even with the thirteen existing beet sugar 

 factories, the annual output of the residuum cossettes is not less 

 than 300,000 tons. It is to be regretted that most of this 

 valuable product is lost, being simply taken from the factories 

 by a conveyor, dumped and left to decay. Under these circum- 

 stances, the hygienic condition of the environment is in danger, 

 and the residents in many cases make justified complaints. 

 The Michigan station undertook the experiment, in a practical 

 way, of testing the "value of beet pulp as a succulent food 

 when combined with dry feeds." The first experiments were 

 conducted on the Grafton farm near Alma. The main object in 

 view was to feed several hundred steers with as little outlay as 

 possible, while in experiments made at Pearl, in western Michi- 

 gan, the steers were to be fattened as rapidly as possible. On 

 the farm at Alma, the "herd was divided into two lots, one 

 containing thirty steers to receive pulp, and the other twenty 

 steers to be fed the same basal ration but no pulp. Prior to 

 the beginning of the experiment, all of the steers had received 

 pulp. It was necessary, therefore, gradually to remove the 

 pulp from the twenty steers that were to receive none during 

 the experiment. A comparison of the amount of feed required 

 to produce a hundred pounds of gain indicates that 3,885 Ibs. 

 of pulp was equal in feeding value to 881.3 Ibs. of stover, 1,086 



