19".] 



Concentrated Feeding-stuffs. 



301 



usually rather poorer in albuminoids and oil, while they 

 contain more sand, and are frequently "preserved " with 

 borax. The average composition of the Egyptian cake may 

 be put at about 23 per cent, of albuminoids, 5 or 6 per cent, 

 of oil, and 30 to 35 per cent, of carbohydrates. The amount 

 of fibre present is an important point ; this is usually about 

 20 Der cent., and should not rise much above that figure. 



The most common faults of this cake are (a) the presence 

 of too much cotton fibre, due to imperfect ginning of the raw 

 seed ; (b) excessive amount and coarseness of husk. After 

 the ginning process there still remains attached to the husk 

 a fine downy layer of cotton fibre, and this is extremely 

 difficult to remove. Thus there is always a possibility that 

 the seed will not be efficiently freed from such cotton, which 

 can be easily detected by the woolly appearance of the cake 

 when broken across. Coarseness of husk, and husk in 

 excessive amount, are also serious objections, and have 

 frequently been the cause of fatalities amongst stock. 



The husk present in this cake possesses an astringent 

 property which checks any tendency towards "looseness," and 

 for this reason the cake is useful when fed along with laxative 

 food, such as fresh young grass in the spring, and the after- 

 math or foggage of hay fields. In many parts of the country 

 undecorticated cotton cake is the feeding stuff most commonly 

 used during the grazing season. 



The comparatively low percentage of oil and albuminoids, 

 and the high percentage of fibre, render undecorticated cotton 

 cake much inferior to decorticated cotton cake as a feeding 

 material. Many experiments have been conducted with the 

 object of contrasting the two kinds of cotton cake as foods for 

 fattening cattle. The evidence thus furnished is entirely in 

 favour of the decorticated cake, which, irrespective of its 

 superior manurial value, was found to be worth £2 to £3 per 

 ton more than the rough cake. 



Undecorticated cotton cake is, nevertheless, a most valuable 

 food, and is extensively used for milk cows and fattening 

 beasts. It is not a suitable food for young animals. 



Soy Bean Cake* — The soya, soy, or soja bean, has during 



* See also Journal of the Board of Agriadture, December, 1909, p. 735 ; 

 February, 1910, p. 940 ; and other issues. 



