166 



DESCRIPTION OF FEEDING STUFFS 



Corn Proteins. — The proteins of Indian corn, according to 

 Osborne, are composed of a"bout 40 per cent zein (a characteristic 

 alcohol-soluble protein), 30 per cent glutelin, 22 per cent albumen, 

 globulin and proteose, and 6 per cent protein insoluble in alkali. 2 

 While little is known so far regarding the specific nutritive proper- 

 ties of the different protein substances, it seems evident that the 

 special corn proteins possess important advantages over those of the 

 wheat or the oat plant. Investigations conducted during a series of 

 years at the Wisconsin station have shown that corn is the only one 

 of the three cereals which can properly nourish dairy cows for long 

 periods and keep them in a strong, healthy condition so that they 

 will yield a normal production and give birth to normally-developed, 

 vigorous calves. 3 It has not been established that this difference in 

 the nutritive effects of the three plants fed by themselves is due to 

 differences in the composition of the protein ' compounds, but, •with 

 our present incomplete knowledge of this subject, it seems most 

 likely that the phenomena brought to light in the important investi- 

 gations referred to are in some way connected with the differences in 

 the ammo-acids making up the proteins in these crops. 30 - " 



Oats are a highly-prized feed for farm animals, especially horses 

 cows, sheep and young stock. Next to corn, they are the most 

 important cereal for feeding livestock in the United States. Their 

 cost frequently makes them rather expensive for feeding other stock 

 than horses, but, when not too costly, there is no better concentrated 

 feed for the animals mentioned. Oats vary greatly in their per- 

 centage of hulls; a good quality of oats contain, on the average, 

 about 30 per cent hulls, while light oats may contain considerably 

 over 40 per cent hulls (or 16 per cent fiber) . Oats contain more fiber 

 and protein and nearly as much fat as Indian corn, as will be seen 

 from the analyses given below : 



Composition of Oats and Oat Hulls, in Per Cent. 



2 Science, 1913, p. 185; Jr. Biol. Chem., 1913, xxxi, No. 2; Proc. Soc. 

 Prom. Agr. Sc., 1914, p. 24. 



'Wisconsin Research Bulletin 17; see p. 78. 



"a See Kansas Tech. Bui. 5 ; McCollum, Jr. Biol. Chem. 28, 153. 



