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RIVALRY AMONG MANUFACTURERS. 235 



For many years past the question, from a cane molasses point importance of 

 of view, has been discussed before the Sugar Planters' Association, molasses utiliza- 

 an account of which may be found in The Louisiana Planter. tlon in th 

 Many used three-quarters of a barrel per day for eighty head of 

 stock, the consumption averaging about 5 Ibs. per head per 

 diem. It is found that the quantity of hay and grain food 

 needed is considerably diminished by this utilization. 



In Texas the cane tops are sprinkled with molasses and then 

 fed, stock appearing to prefer it to grain. Some planters fed 

 molasses to their mules and horses, and found that they con- 

 sumed on an average 12 J Ibs. per diem. 



The following additional facts respecting beet molasses are 

 considered very important. Molasses from sugar cane contains 

 glucose; beet molasses is free from this sugar, but retains a 

 larger percentage of salts and other impurities; hence the prob- 

 lem of feeding this product from a beet-sugar factory is more 

 complicated than when handling a cane residuum. In both 

 cases, however, it is mainly the sugar that represents its nutri- 

 tive value, and the importance of it for the development of 

 work, etc., is now admitted by all who have examined the 

 question. 



Between the various modes of preparing the molasses fodder, Rivalry among 

 there has come into existence considerable rivalry, the various manufactnrers 

 inventors condemning their competitors, and in this way retard- 

 ing the progress that would otherwise have been made in the 

 general introduction of the product on farms. The fact, how- 

 ever, remains that cattle fed upon the product have their appe- 

 tites stimulated and eat more straw and like products than they 

 would otherwise. As soon as there was a possibility of making 

 the molasses fodder very general, the selling price of the resi- 

 duum went up, which necessarily meant a set-back as far as its 

 general introduction was concerned. 



Since 1850 many arguments have been advanced that molasses 

 contains all the nutritive elements that are requisite for feeding 

 cattle. One of the first experiments that may be mentioned was 

 that of Krocker, who substituted in sheep feeding one-third of 

 a pound of molasses for one pound of hay per head and per 

 diem. The excellent results that were obtained have been fol- 



