HAY, STRAW AND MOLASSES. 275 



cent. ; digestible nitrogenous, 9.34 per cent. ; indigestible nitrog- 

 enous, 2.0 percent.; amides, 5.25 percent.; fatty substances, 

 3.66 per cent.; sugar, 2.0 per cent.; pentosane, 6.54 per cent.; 

 cellulose, 15.03 per cent.; unknown substances, 17.43 per cent. 

 It is to be noticed that the laxative effects of the molasses are, 

 in an important measure, done away with by the contrary in- 

 fluence of the sesame. It is claimed that the nutritive value 

 of the combination is high, as, besides its equivalent in sugar, 

 it contains a considerable proportion of fatty constituents, with 

 other hydrocarbons readily assimilated. The final combination 

 for horses, as adopted at Toury, consists of oat flour, peanut 

 shells and molasses; its composition is as follows: Water, 16.69 

 percent; ash, 5.62 percent.; digestible nitrogenous, 3.20 per 

 cent.; indigestible nitrogenous, 1.80 per cent.; amides, 3.19 per 

 cent.; sugar, 15.98 percent.; starch, 13.20 per cent.; pentosane, 

 9.32 per cent.; cellulose, 14.64 per cent.; unknown substances, 

 10.97 per cent. It is made up of 36 per cent, molasses (44 per 

 cent, sugar), 35 per cent, crushed oats, and 27 per cent, peanut 

 shells, to which must be added the water absorbed during eat- 

 ing. The nutritive value of the compound is self-evident. It 

 is declared by M. Lambert, that of all the combinations thus 

 far proposed, none offer the special advantages of the one just 

 mentioned. 



The early experiments with sheep were with 2 Ibs. hay per Hay straw and; 

 diem and subsequently with 1 Ib. of hay and one-quarter pound molasses, 

 molasses; the animal remained in an excellent condition. Later 

 experiments show beyond cavil that when oxen were fed with a 

 mixture of molasses and barley straw, or a mixture of straw and 

 oil cake, they could be kept in a good healthy condition during 

 the winter. The maximum limit that should be fed per diem 

 was found to be 8 Ibs. per 1000 Ibs. live weight. It was 

 claimed that larger amounts could not be assimilated and would 

 therefore be wasted. For milch cows, the molasses was simply 

 added, and there was no decrease in the milk production as is 

 usually the case when changes are made in the regimen. Fed 

 in quantities of 2.2 Ibs. per diem, the percentage of fatty sub- 

 stances in the milk was increased. In 16 cows under experi- 

 ment the fat percentage rose from 3.71 to 3.94, and in another 



