776 



Feeding Stuffs in November. 



[Nov., 



FEEDING STUFFS IN NOVEMBER, 



Pkofessor T. B. Wood, C.B.E., M.A., F.E.S., 

 Animal Nutrition Institute, Cambridge University . 



There is a slight downward tendency in prices since last 

 month, and reports at the present time seem to indicate the 

 probability of an appreciable fall in the price of many com- 

 modities, which may extend to feeding stuffs. Some feeding 

 stuffs have advanced in price, notably palm kernel cake, which 

 is, however, still cheap as compared with other materials. * 



Several correspondents have asked for particulars of the prices 

 quoted in these notes. These prices are quoted from the Weekly 

 Eeturn of Market Prices issued by the Ministry of Agriculture. 

 They represent prices at which actual wholesale transactions 

 have taken place on the larger markets, usually London, and 

 refer to the price ex mill or store. They are as a rule con- 

 siderably lower than the prices on local country markets, the 

 difference being due to carriage and dealer's commission. 



Buyers can. however, easily compare the relative prices of the 

 feeding stuffs on offer at their local market by the method of 

 calculation used in these notes. Thus, suppose palm kernel cake 

 is offered locally at £'15 per ton. Its manurial value is £2 Is. 

 per ton. The food value per ton is therefore £12 19s. per ton. 

 Dividing this figure by 75, the starch equivalent of palm kernel 

 cake as given in the table, the cost per unit of starch equivalent 

 is 3s. 6d. Dividing this again by 22-4. the number of pounds 

 of starch equivalent in 1 unit, the cost per lb. of starch equiva- 

 lent is l-88d. A similar calculation will show the relative cost 

 per lb. of starch equivalent of other feeding stuffs on the same 

 local market. From the results of such calculations a buyer can 

 determine which feeding stuff gives him the best value at the 

 prices quoted on his own market. 



At the request of another correspondent particulars of the 

 relative food value and price? of potatoes, swedes and man- 

 golds have been added to the table. The figures given have 

 been worked out backwards from the assumption that the starch 

 equivalent of these foods is worth about the same as that of 

 starchy foods such as maize, namely, 2d. per lb. The figures 

 show that with maize at its present price, the value of potatoes 

 for feeding is about £4 17s. per ton, and of swedes or mangolds 

 about £1 10s. per ton. 



