MATT UAL OF CATTLlS-FEEDINd, 277 



Tlioxigli the ratio between potatoes and flesli meal varied 

 between wide limits, tlie digestibility of tlie latter, calcu- 

 lated on tlie basis of unaltered digestibility of tlie former, 

 varied but very little, and rather increased than decreased 

 in the experiments in which relatively most ilesh meal was 

 fed. Since the flesh meal contained no crude fibre or ni- 

 trogen-free extract, the digestibility of these ingredients 

 of the potatoes could be determined directly in each ex- 

 periment. It was found to be sensibly the same in 

 all. 



Obviously, the results of these experiments are as if the 

 potatoes were equally well digested in all cases, and as if 

 the above coefficients represented the digestibility of the 

 flesh meal ; and though this fact cannot, perliaps, be said 

 to be absolutely proved, tlie practical result is the same as 

 if it were, and we can make it the basis of calculations of 

 digestibility in similar cases. 



Hitrogenous Bye-Podders. — By means of CKperiments 

 made on the same plan as those just described, it has been 

 found that for the ordinary nitrogenous bye-fodders, such 

 as oil cake, cotton-seed cake, bran, beans, etc., digestion 

 coefficients may be obtained, and that these coefficients 

 remain nearly constant whatever the quantity of the fodder 

 given, while the digestibility of the coarse fodder remains 

 unaltered by the addition of the concentrated fodder. 



This conclusion is drawn fi^om the results of numerous 

 digestion experiments in which increasmg quantities of the 

 concentrated fodder were fed along with meadow or clover 

 hay. Such experiments have been made in Hohenheim, 

 Mdckern, and Halle, especially with oil cake, but also 

 with crushed beans, rape cake, wheat bran, and cotton-seed 

 meal, on sheep^ goats, and oxen, with the results stated. 

 In all probability, experiment would show that the same 



