191 1.] Summary of Agricultural Experiments. 333 



the animals up to the end of the experiment. On the other hand the two 

 larger quantities of dried potato slices (17^ lb. and 23 lb. per 1,000 lb. 

 live weight per day) were refused before the end of the experiment, and 

 the smaller quantity had to be reverted to. 



The general conclusion reached by Dr. Gerlach as the result of these 

 trials is that these dried potato foods (which are largely used in Germany) 

 form an excellent feeding-stuff for all kinds of stock, and may with 

 advantage be used in preference to raw potatoes when the latter have 

 sprouted or are otherwise of inferior quality. The practice of potato- 

 drying derives its value from the circumstance that it enables a farmer 

 to preserve his surplus stock of potatoes for an indefinite period. 



The Effect of Albuminoids on the Fattening of FuEI-grown Animals 

 (Die Landw. Versuchs-Stationen, Band Ixxiv. Heft. vi.). — Certain experi- 

 ments carried out by Professors Pfeiffer and Friske, in 1908, had given 

 results which, contrary to previous observations, showed that a sub- 

 stantial production of albuminoids may take place in the feeding of adult 

 animals, even though the ration is not particularly rich in nitrogen. 

 The experiment was repeated in the winter of 1909-10, on a number 

 of wethers of from 3^ to 3! years of age. Two animals were fattened 

 on foods with a high content of albuminoids and two on foods with 

 a low content of albuminoids. The foods used were hay and bruised 

 barley and beans. 



The amount of nitrogen in the food converted into flesh was estimated 

 by deducting the amount of nitrogen in the liquid and solid manure 

 and wool from the amount of nitrogen in the foods fed, these amounts 

 in each case being obtained by careful analysis. With the results 

 obtained by such a calculation were compared the actual results obtained 

 by slaughter of the animals and analysis of the various parts of the 

 carcasses. In the latter case, the amount of nitrogen present before 

 fattening was estimated from the amount of nitrogen in the carcasses 

 of three unfattened animals, which were killed for the purpose at the 

 beginning of the experiment. 



The results of the experiment may be summarised as follows : — A 

 considerable production of nitrogen in the form of flesh takes place 

 in fattening full-grown animals. The worse the condition of the animals 

 (as regards nourishment) before fattening, the greater is this production 

 of nitrogen. 



A lowering of the albuminoid ratio of the ration exercises, in the 

 long run, no influence on the meat production of adult animals. A 

 wide albuminoid ratio is equal in this respect to a narrow one, though 

 the former may possibly be superior. That is to say, in these experi- 

 ments no practical difference was found as regards flesh production 

 between the foods with a high and low proportion of albuminoids. 



The production of nitrogen in the animals as a result of fattening 

 was, as a general rule, found to be higher when estimated by calculation 

 ! than when obtained by actual slaughter. Only in the case of foods 

 with the smallest proportion of albuminoids was there a noticeable 

 agreement in the figures obtained by the two methods. 



Soy Bean Cake for Fattening Cattle (Roy. Agric. Coll., Cirencester, 

 Scientific Bulletin, No. 2, 19 10). — A trial of soy bean cake in comparison 

 with decorticated cotton cake was made on two lots of bullocks, con- 

 sisting of two animals each. All were fed with mangolds, hay, and 



