i9i i.] Molasses and Sugar Foods for Live Stock. 99 



that the feeding value of the two as regards carbohydrates 

 (mainly sugars in each case) is the same. The composition 

 of molasses may vary somewhat from the above figures, but 

 that is due more particularly to the percentage of water 

 present. Calculated upon the dry matter, the quality of 

 molasses, even of widely differing origin, is remarkably 

 constant as regards the sugar which it contains. 



Previous to September 1st, 1903, all molasses imported into 

 this country had to pay a duty of is. per cwt., but since that 

 date exemption has been granted in the case of molasses 

 intended to be used solely as a food for stock or in the manu- 

 facture of cattle foods. This privilege has enabled the West 

 Indian sugar planters to dispose of their molasses to better 

 advantage than previously, since cane sugar molasses is 

 generally preferred by the feeder. 



Enormous quantities of molasses are produced annually 

 in the large Continental factories which make sugar from 

 sugar beets, and most of the reliable investigations on the 

 use of molasses as a food for stock were, in fact, made with 

 beet molasses. The agreement in the composition of cane 

 and beet molasses, which has already been pointed out r 

 enables the results of these investigations to be applied 

 equally well to cane molasses. There are one or two minor 

 differences between beet and cane molasses, to which attention 

 will be called later on. 



The nitrogen-free extract substances, or carbohydrates, 

 which are present in molasses are mainly sugars, of which 

 cane sugar (saccharose) is the chief representative. Invert 

 sugar — dextrose and levulose — raffinose, as well as varying 

 quantities of organic substances, gums, mucilage, &c, which 

 are not really sugars, are also found in molasses. 



The feeding value of cane sugar was tested as long ago as 

 1855 by Lawes and Gilbert, who came to the conclusion that 

 it was equivalent to that of starch. Since that time a great 

 deal of experimental work has been done with sugar, either 

 in the pure form or in molasses, and the results on the whole 

 agree with those obtained by Lawes and Gilbert. The very 

 careful investigations of Kellner have, however, led him to 

 place a less value upon sugar than upon starch for the pro- 

 duction of body fat. The reason of this may almost un- 

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