S52 MAlSriTAL OF CATTLE-FEEDIKG. 



favorable results. Tlie Germaa experiments liave been 

 made on the so-called Norwegian fiUi guano, wliielx is 

 stated to contain about 2 per cent, of fat and 13 to 15 per 

 cent, of phosplioric acid, and must therefore be a different 

 preparation from that sold in our markets, wliicli generally 

 contains from Y to 15 per cent, of fat and 6 to 8 per cent* 

 of pliosplioric acid. 



Tlie first experiments were made on sheep by Weiske,* 

 and it was found that the fish guano constituted a very 

 good bye-fodder which had the advantage over flesh meal 

 that it was eaten more readily by the animals. Fully a 

 third of the nitrogenous matter of the fish guano consibted 

 of gelatigenous substances, which are not fully equal to the 

 albuminoids as food (see p. 102); but the experiments 

 showed that, on accoxmt of its easy and great digebtibility, 

 the fish gave an even better nutritive effect than a ration 

 of hay and oats containing the same amount of crude pro- 

 tein. The digestibility of the fish guano was not accurately 

 determined in this investigation, but it was ebtimated that 

 from 77 to 83 per cent, of its nitrogenous matter was 

 digested. 



Later experiments by Kellner,! also on sheep, gave a 

 digestion coefficient of 90 for the total nitrogenous sub- 

 stance, and showed that at least 75 per cent, of the gela- 

 tigenous matter of the fish was digested. It was also 

 found that the pliosphoric acid which is present in large 

 quantities in fish, although not digested to any great ex- 

 tent, was made more soluble by passing through the di- 

 gestive apparatus and thus acquired an increased manurial 

 vahie. When we add to this the fact that the nitrogen, 



* Jour, f . Landw. , XXIY. , 265. 



•f Landw. Vcrsuclia JStationeu, XX. , 4;33. 



