OFFICIAL INSPECTIONS 72. II9 



Two feeds in this class require separate consideration. They 

 are composed of molasses and dried sphagnum moss. The 

 sphagnum moss is used simply as a filler to hold the molasses ; 

 it has practically no feeding value. It is claimed for these 

 feeds that they give the feeder desiring to use it, molasses in a 

 form more convenient to handle than the liquid. Any claims 

 that they will do anything that ordinary feed molasses will not 

 do are unfounded. Whether they are more convenient to han- 

 dle is a matter of personal opinion. The feeder planning to 

 use them should compare their price with that of feed molasses. 

 The wet and sticky condition of these goods makes it practically 

 impossible to get a fair sample of them. While a sample of 

 each of the two brands registered was examined, the results are 

 for this reason of little significance. Their analysis is not of 

 great im,portance, as aside from ordinary beneficial effects of 

 molasses, their feeding value is practically nothing. Under the 

 law, the percentage of protein in a feed is obtained by multiply- 

 ing the percentage of nitrogen it carries by 6 1-4. Ordinarily, 

 this is a fair index of the protein content. In the case of 

 these two feeds, both the moss and the molasses contain small 

 amounts of nitrogen, but practically no true protein is present. 



MISCEIvLANFOUS COMPOUNDED FEEDS. 



Protein over 15 per cent. 

 This class includes the so-called balanced rations, calf meals 

 and the like. Some of them are manufactured partly to utilize 

 higher grade by-products such as distillers grains and the 

 like. One of them contains oat hulls, but is the exception; 

 it is put into this class, and not with the other oat by-product 

 feeds because of its higher protein guaranty. Practically all 

 of these feeds are excellent for the purposes for which they 

 are intended; the question in regard to their use is one of price. 

 For the price paid for the mixing is, in most cases, altogether 

 too high ; in other words, the feeder can usually buy the com- 

 ponent feeds and mix them himself a good deal cheaper than 

 he can buy the prepared feed. For the small user who does not 

 want to be bothered with mixing his own feed, their use is 

 defensible. The user of any considerable amount of feed ought 

 to understand feeding problems well enoujjh to mix a feed at 



