256 FEEDING WITH SUGAR BEETS, SUGAR, ETC. 



action of digestion. The practical working of this mode con- 

 sists in using an herb rich in glycosides, which is chopped up 

 dry and moistened with a 1 per cent, solution of molasses. The 

 mixture is left for several days at the ambient temperature, and 

 Tfr ^ A concentrated molasses is added to it, which has been 

 previously mixed with some fibrous substance, saw-dust, 

 chopped straw, and finally with lime. 



During the first phases of fermentation, instead of using the 

 sour herbs alone, 5 to 10 per cent, of saw-dust may be added to 

 them before starting the fermentation with diluted molasses, 

 which will then be unusually active. The main feature of this 

 mode consists in bringing about a decomposition of the glyco- 

 sides by fermentation through the intervention of diluted 

 molasses. 



Proskowetz pours concentrated molasses over forages and then 

 does the mixing with suitable pitch-forks. With this combina- 

 tion he has fed 14- to 2 kilos of the residuum per diem to sixty 

 steers, while fifty other steers were fed with the ordinary rations. 

 The experiment showed that there was an increase of one-fifth 

 kilo per diem for the molasses-fed animals. 



Ramm undertook a very interesting series of investigations of 

 feeding milch cows with liquid molasses. Twelve animals were 

 fed with rations consisting of 10 kilos hay, 3 kilos wheat 

 middlings, 50 kilos of forage beets, 4 kilos flour, and 8 kilos of 

 molasses per diem per 1000 Ibs. live weight. The molasses was 

 heated to 70 C. and spread over the forage. The total was 

 thoroughly mixed, and the product was eaten with relish. Ex- 

 perience appears to prove that when a cow does not derive any 

 benefit from this feed, there are no known means by which the 

 animal may be accustomed to even diluted molasses. These 

 experiments showed that this residuum was most excellent for 

 the production of milk: its percentage of dry and fatty sub- 

 stances increased, and the milk and butter were absolutely 

 normal. 



It is interesting to note that the conclusions from these ex- 

 periments were to a certain extent in contradiction to previous 

 observations made by the leading agronomists, viz., when this 

 molasses forage combination was fed to cows during gestation, 



