58 MAINi; AGRICULTURAI, e:xPERIMSNT STATION. I909. 



feeds, although the distinction between the molasses feeds and 

 the reinforced feeds is very slight. Most of these mixed rein- 

 forced feeds, as well as the molasses feeds, contain waste 

 products of doubtful feeding value, since they frequently are 

 largely loaded with weed seeds. Not only is there danger from 

 live weed seeds germinating and thus introducing dangerous 

 plants, but there is practically nothing known of their feeding 

 value. Some of the weed seeds are undoubtedly poisonous. 

 Many of the weed seeds in these feeds pass through the diges- 

 tive tract of the animal unchanged, even germinating after pass- 

 ing through the digestive tract. Obviously there is no nutritive 

 value derived from such seeds. It would not seem good 

 economy to purchase meals of this doubtful nature. Some of 

 the makers of these goods, however, are claiming that they are 

 now using only good nutritive materials for their absorbents. 

 There are also practical feeders that claim valuable results from 

 the use of molasses feeds, but it is very doubtful if exact feed- 

 ing experiments would show them to have any such claims for 

 consideration as the agents testify. 



In general all of the oat, barley and hominy feeds are fairly 

 well up to their guaranty, and few or no claims are made for 

 nutrients which the goods do not actually carry. The feeder 

 has only himself to blame if with barns filled with hay, corn 

 stalks and silage, he buys feeds low in protein instead of those 

 high in protein. Economical animal production in Maine would 

 seem to depend upon the farmer growing the largest possible 

 amount of feed for his stock and since he can grow the carbo- 

 hydrates much more abundantly and cheaply than he can grow 

 the nitrogenous constituents, when he goes to purchase it should 

 be the highly concentrated protein carrying feeding stufifs. 



-RtAT) THK LABE^IvS. 



Practically all of the feeding stuffs and mill refuses even when 

 they do not come under the requirements of the feeding stuffs 

 law now come labeled showing the percentages of protein and 

 fat. It is important to both the dealer and the consumer that 

 he study these labels and know as near as possible what the 

 goods are. It would also be advisable to compare the analyses 

 given on the tag with analyses of standard goods as reported 



