FEEDING EXPERIMENTS WITH MILCH COWS. 39 



GLUTEN MEAL COMPARED WITH COTTON-SEED MEAL AS FOOD 

 FOR MILCH COWS. 



The object of this experiment, the results of which are given 

 in the following - tables, was to compare the feeding value of 

 gluten meal with cotton-seed meal, when fed in such propor- 

 tions that the quantity of digestible nutrients of the one equalled 

 those of the other. 



Gluten meal, a material made from the residue left in the 

 manufacture of starch and glucose from Indian corn or maize, 

 is now offered quite extensively in our markets as a cattle food. 

 There are also several other products made from this residue 

 which are known by various names, such as gluten feed, corn 

 bran, corn germ, etc. None of these, however, are so rich in 

 protein as gluten meal, for the reason that in its manufacture 

 the hull and germ of the kernel is removed, which is not the 

 case in the manufacture of the other materials mentioned. The 

 high grade meals do not differ greatly in composition from 

 linseed meal and average about one-quarter less protein than 

 cotton-seed meal. They also contain but little ash, and are 

 less valuable than the oil meals as manure formers. 



In this, as in all the other experiments, the animals were kept in 

 as nearly uniform conditions as possible, and the grain ration fed 

 was small so as to avoid an excess of nutrients in either ration. 

 The cows were weighed at the beginning and close of each 

 period, so that any gain or loss in flesh could be noted, and the 

 milk was accurately weighed at each milking. Samples were 

 taken the last five days of each period, and the average of the 

 results obtained was taken as the average composition of the 

 milk for that period. The butter made from the milk produced, 

 while the cows were on each ration, was tested for quality and 

 hardness. 



