332 Summary of Agricultural Experiments, [july, 



3 lb. ; meadow foxtail, 2 lb. ; timothy, 2 lb. ; crested dogstail, 3 lb. ; hard 

 fescue, 1 lb. ; tall oat grass, £ lb. ; rough-stalked meadow grass, J lb. ; 

 smooth-stalked meadow grass, \ lb. ; yarrow, \ lb. ; broad red clover, 

 2 lb. ; alsike, 1 lb. ; white clover, 2 lb. The weight of the latter mixture 

 sown was 28! lb. per acre, at a cost of £1 2s. qd. 



A second series of plots was started in 1909, at five farms. 

 Three of the mixtures were the same as those used in the 

 former experiments, but instead of the fourth, a modification 

 of Mr. Elliot's mixture is being tried, the cost being reduced, chiefly 

 by omitting burnet, sheep's parsley, and kidney vetch, and introducing 

 perennial rye-grass. The cost of this mixture, at the rate of 37! lb. 

 per acre, was £1 16s. nd. The grass was cut for hay in 1910, when Mr. 

 Elliot's original mixture gave the best crop, and the modification of it 

 the next best. 



Live Stock, and Feeding Stuffs. 

 Feeding Animals with Dried Potatoes (Mitteilungen des K.W. Inst, 

 filr Landw., Bromberg). — These experiments were carried out at two 

 centres in Germany in 1904, 1906, and 1907. One trial was con- 

 ducted on 18 steers, averaging about 7 cwt. each in weight, of which 



9 were fed for 127 days on fresh potatoes, and 9 on dried potatoes, the 

 other foods fed being the same for both lots of animals. The analysis 

 of the dried potatoes gave the following result : — Water, n'22 per cent..; 

 crude fat, 0*48 per cent. ; crude protein, 6*55 per cent. ; nitrogen-free 

 extract, 74*35 per cent ; crude fibre, 3*37 per cent. ; and ash, 4*03 per 

 cent. The content of pure albuminoids was 4*47 per cent., of which 3"8o 

 per cent, was digestible. The amounts of potatoes fed per 1,000 lb. live 

 weight per day were 50 lb. fresh potatoes and 16 lb. dried potatoes, 

 these amounts having the same food value. The increases in live 

 weight during the experimental period were 2*427 lb. in the case of 

 dried potatoes, and 2'2o6 lb. in the case of fresh potatoes per head 

 per day. Similar experiments were conducted in 1904 on pigs, steamed 

 potatoes being compared with dried potatoes in the ration. The results 

 were very slightly in favour of steamed potatoes. 



In 1907 and 1908 trials with swine were undertaken to compare the 

 feeding value of two kinds of dried potatoes with that of maize. 

 The pigs were divided into three lots, the rations of each 

 lot containing one of the foods under trial. The greatest 

 increases in weight were caused by dried potato flakes 

 (Kartoffelflocken), and next in order, maize, with dried potato slices 

 (Kartoffelschnitzel) last. The explanation of the difference between the 

 two potato foods lies in the fact that the starch in the dried potato slices 

 is not digested so well as in the dried potato flakes. The meat and fat 

 of the animals fed with the potato foods were quite as good as those of 

 the lot fed with the maize. 



To ascertain the limits to which feeding with dried potatoes can be 

 carried six lots of six pigs each were chosen, two lots being fed with 



10 lb. of dried potato flakes and dried potato slices, respectively, per 

 1,000 lb. live weight per day, two lots with 17^ lb., and the remaining 

 two lots with 23 lb. Dried potato flakes again proved superior to dried 

 potato slices, but no very decided advantage was obtained from the 

 larger quantities. The largest quantity of dried potato flakes 

 (23 lb. per 1000 lb. live weight per day) was eaten quite readily by 



