332 FEEDING WITH SUGAR BEETS, SUGAR, ETC. 



The determination of amids in fodders is rather complicated, and would 

 take us beyond the general scope of this present writing. During the early 

 history of feeding animals, very little attention was given to amids, yet it was 

 freely admitted that there was some .substance in the nitrogenous part of foods 

 that was not protein in the true sense of the term. The experiments of 

 Schultzen and Rencki, etc. , appear to show just what role the amides play 

 during assimilation. The conclusion one can draw from the result of their in- 

 vestigations is not entirely satisfactory; however, in the case of asparagin, the 

 resulting gain was pronounced. 



Anhydrous means free from water. 



Anhydrous sulphuric acid means sulphuric acid free from water. 



Ash. If a fodder is burned until the entire organic matter has disap- 

 peared, certain precautions are necessary in order that volatilization of the 

 chlorids, etc., may be avoided. The substance or residue remaining is called 

 ash; it is made up mainly of potash, soda, lime, iron, sulphuric, carbonic and 

 phosphoric acids. In certain cases, however, it is found desirable when feed- 

 ing young animals, to add wood ashes, precipitated chalk and phosphate of 

 lime to the ration. The ash percentage varies very considerably; for example, 

 in pasture grass it is 2.5 per cer.t., while red clover hay may contain 6.2 per 

 cent. This latter percentage is misleading for various reasons. The ash of 

 beets, beet residuum, etc., varies with the methods of cultivation of the roots 

 and the modes of manufacture at the factory. 



As the ash of a fodder is made up of most of the ingredients of the animal's 

 body, it has a very important role to play in feeding in general. Feeding 

 stuffs upon general principles all contain an ample supply of mineral sub 

 stances there need be no apprehension of their quantity being deficient. In 

 rational farming, when the fertilizers are judiciously used, the percentage of 

 mineral salts fed to be found subsequently in the excrements is of more than 

 usual importance. Upon general principles, it may be admitted that over 80 

 per cent, of these salts are found in the solid and liquid excrements. There 

 is excreted in the urine nearly the entire amount of sulphuric acid and chlorin 

 contained in the fodder; while in the case of lime, 2 to 5 per cent, is found in 

 the urine; with magnesia only 0.25 per cent, is thus thrown off. 



Asparagin is an alkaloid found in seeds of certain plants, also in aspar- 

 agus, sugar-beets, etc. It is an amid of aspartic acid. 



Assimilation. The terms "assimilation" and " digestion " are very 

 much the same; the process consists in taking up from the feeds the nutrients 

 that may be employed to make up for the wear and tear and form new tissue. 



Bacteria is synonymous with microbes; they may be in straight rods or 

 twisted rods, etc., they may be either dependent upon free oxygen, or, as in 

 plants, may appropriate the oxygen of the organic combinations and thus act 

 as a putrefactive agent. 



Betain. This substance is a special form of amid; the product contains 

 about 11 per cent, nitrogen; it disappears apparently during the second year's 

 growth of the beet. 



