MOLASSES 67 



the cane or beet juice, and this sugar, together with 

 other organic matter contained mainly in the form of 

 proteids, gives the refuse molasses its value as a stock 

 food. The protein, however, is in a very small propor- 

 tion as compared with the sugar or carbohydrates. 

 This refuse is obtainable in the sugar belt for from 

 six to ten cents a gallon of about twelve pounds. 



For fattening cattle molasses has as much or more 

 value as an appetizer than as an actual food. When 

 sprinkled over grain or hay it causes a larger consump- 

 tion of feed, and not only this, but feeders claim that it 

 is an aid to digestion. Although at present there is 

 not much data at hand on the subject, this claim seems 

 to be substantiated by experimental evidence. An 

 experiment conducted by the Texas Station in 1903 

 shows that when molasses at the rate of two-fifths of a 

 gallon per steer per day was added to a ration of cotton- 

 seed meal and cottonseed hulls, the cattle not only 

 made a greater daily gain per head, but the gains were 

 made cheaper. (Texas Bulletin 76.) 



A bulletin on the subject has been published by 

 Professors John A. Craig and F. R. Marshall of the 

 Texas Station, which gives the results of feeding 

 molasses to two-year-old steers being finished for mar- 

 ket. The average grain ration consisted of 14 pounds 

 of cottonseed meal and corn chop, one part of the 

 former to two parts of the latter, and the average 

 roughage consumed was 12^ pounds of cottonseed hulls 

 per day. To this was added molasses at the rate of a 

 little over 3 quarts per steer per day. The cattle thus 

 fed made an average daily gain of 1.71 pounds against 

 1.27 pounds with a similar lot similarly fed, but without 

 the molasses. The cost per pound gain was 10.05 cents 

 with the lot receiving molasses against 11.3 cents with 

 the lot receiving no molaases. The low rate of gain and 

 high cost per pound is due to the fact that the steers 

 had been long fed and were nearly fat when the experi- 

 ment began. 



