1920.] 



Notes on Feeding Stuffs. 



3i 



Since last month a correspondent has kindly sent a sample of 

 flax chaff, which has been analysed with the following results : — 



Composition of Sample of Flax Chaff. 



Notes on Feeding Per cent. 



Stuffs for May : Water 12-0 



From the Protein 8-4 



Animal Nutrition Fat 5-6 



Institute, Cambridge Carbohydrate .. 30-7 



University. Fibre 29-7 



Ash .. .. .. 7-6 



This appears to be quite a useful feeding stuff , having approxi- 

 mately the same composition as pea haulm. It consists of 

 the bolls from which linseed has been threshed out, and if, as 

 seems likely, the growth of linseed in England spreads, con- 

 siderable quantities of flax chaff will be available. There 

 seems to be no information as to its digestibility, and no record 

 of its practical use can be traced. Any information on this 

 subject would be welcomed. 



We have also received for analysis and comment samples 

 of oat and wheat straw chaff which had been allowed to ferment 

 by admixture with pulped roots. The composition of the 

 original chaff and of the chaff after fermentation is shown by 



the following analysis : — 



Chaff after 

 Original Chaff. Fermentation. 

 Per cent. Per cent. 



Water .. .. .. 15*0 .. .. 16-4 



Protein .. .. \. 3-8 .. .. 3-6 



Fat 2-3 .. .. 3-4 



Carbohydrate .. .. 40*7 .. .. 39*0 



Fibre .. .. .. 32-6 .. .. 32*4 



Ash 5-6 .. .. 5-7 



The fermentation appears to have destroyed a little carbo- 

 hydrate and protein. Some of the carbohydrate has appar- 

 ently been converted into fatty acids as shown by the slight 

 increase in the percentage of fat. There seems to have been 

 no change in the percentage of fibre. Fermentation appears 

 to have developed an appetising smell which would probably 

 increase the palatability of the chaff, but the figures do not 

 indicate that it has increased the nutritive value. It is pro- 

 posed, how r ever, to carry out a digestibility determination in 

 order to throw 7 further light on this point. 



The practice of fermenting chaff in this way is not by any 

 means new\ It was employed by the late Mr. Samuel Jonas, 

 and is described in the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society 

 of England for 1871. Mr. Jonas at first used chaffed green- 

 stuff, such as clover, grass, vetches or trifolium, to set up the 



