io4 Molasses and Sugar Foods for Live Stock, [may, 
mixture of peat moss and molasses. It was soon discovered 
that peat moss is a very good absorbent of molasses, and 
that twenty parts of this material could soak up eighty parts 
of molasses and give a product which could be called dry. 
Some varieties of peat are more suitable than others, and at 
the present time these peat molasses mixtures are sold in large 
quantities. Some are satisfactory from the point of view of 
preparation, whilst others are manifestly unsuitable for food, 
being coarse and sour, and often possessing an objectionable 
smell. The chemical analyses of these molasses feeds often 
fail to show their exact composition, for no distinction is made 
between the true protein (albuminoids) and the amides, nor 
is the percentage of actual sugar always given. It would 
be invidious to give the names of these proprietary peat-moss 
molasses feeds, but the accompanying table shows the analyses 
of several of the best known British and Continental 
makes. 
I. 
11. 
ML 
IV. 
Nitrogen-free extract substances... 
55-8i 
52-48 
52*60 
(40-0) 
Protein 
875 
8-25 
8-34 
7*44 
Oil 
I'20 
073 
0-87 
0-28 
Crude fibre... 
4 -8 1 
6-63 
5-85 
Mineral matter ... 
7-03 
7'54 
7-54 
6-8 
Water 
22-40 
24*37 
24-85 
25 '2 
Containing sugar ... 
36-44 
3i-7 
40*0 
The percentage of sugar in these peat molasses foods is 
thus seen to vary between 31 and 40 per cent., and the protein 
stands at 8 per cent, on an average. As neither peat nor 
molasses contain more than a small amount of true protein 
(albuminoids) the value of the protein shown in the analyses 
is certainly not what it would be in oats, for example. The 
small amounts of fat in peat molasses should also be noted. 
Instead of peat moss, various other absorbents, such as the 
pith of the sugar cane (known as megass or bagasse), ground 
husks of earthnut, crude cellulose, &c, are used. The feeding 
value of peat moss or the other absorbents just mentioned has 
not been accurately determined in every case, but so far as 
peat is concerned Kellner and Pfeiffer have shown that not 
only is it valueless from the feeding point of view, but that 
it withdraws from the body a certain quantity of nutriment* 
