178 The Sugar-Beet in America 
about 7.2 per cent being present. These salts, together 
with organic substances, give the molasses a disagree- 
able taste and a laxative action, which makes it unsuitable 
for human use and for animals when used in large quan- 
tities. When properly combined with other feeds and 
slowly introduced into the ration, it furnishes a desirable 
nutrient for fattening animals. For most stock, molas- 
ses is first diluted with water and then sprinkled on the 
roughage with which it is to be fed. In Europe, peat, 
which has no food value in itself, is sometimes used as 
roughage. Stock will eat large quantities of straw when 
sprinkled with molasses and do well on it. When pur- 
chased in combination with other feed, it is usually in the 
form of dried-molasses beet pulp. Molasses is a valu- 
able material to feed with alfalfa hay because its high 
carbohydrate content balances the high protein of the 
alfalfa. 
Alfalfa leaves and molasses are about equal to grain for 
feed and cost much less. To begin with, only about one- 
fourth of the full amount of molasses should be fed. 
This may be increased gradually to the full ration. It is 
a violent purgative when fed in excessive quantities or 
when introduced too rapidly into the ration; but if 
properly fed, its tonic action allows the best use to be 
made of a large quantity of rough food that might not 
otherwise be utilized. It should not be fed to brood 
animals in quantities large enough to cause great activity 
of the bowels, as this is likely to cause abortion. For 
fattening purposes, it is worth six to eight times its weight 
of wet pulp. 
The use of molasses for fattening beef cattle is increas- 
