io2 Molasses and Sugar Foods for Live Stock, [may, 



Dairy cows have been fed 3 lb. and more daily per 1,000 lb. 

 live weight without ill effect, although in some feeding 

 experiments with molasses it has been found that the milk 

 increased in quantity at the expense of quality. The butter 

 from cows receiving molasses is not influenced detrimentally. 



For horses, a moderate use of molasses has been recom- 

 mended, not only on account of its feeding value, but also 

 because in stables where it was used the attacks of colic were 

 much less frequent. Large horse-owners have been known, 

 however, to object to molasses because of its effect in causing 

 the animal to urinate excessively. Molasses in some form 

 or other has also been fed to sheep and pigs, with, on 

 the whole, satisfactory results. The conclusions, in fact, to 

 be drawn from the use of feeding treacle are that in moderate 

 quantities it is a good food, and may be particularly useful 

 where it is necessary to feed much straw or inferior hay. A 

 pound or so of treacle diluted with warm water and poured 

 over chopped straw or hay will induce the animal to clean 

 up its ration very completely. The flesh of animals fed exces- 

 sively upon molasses is not of the best quality, and animals 

 soon lose condition again, although they may fatten rapidly. 



When beet molasses came into general use it was held to 

 be a dangerous food for young or pregnant animals, parti- 

 cularly the latter, as it tended to cause them to abort. In the 

 same way molasses was decried as an article of diet for male 

 breeding animals, as it was thought to cause sterility, parti- 

 cularly in the case of bulls. Probably there was foundation 

 for these beliefs, for it has been observed in other connections 

 that when male animals are receiving considerable quantities 

 of sugar the reproductive functions are diminished. 



When molasses or feeding treacle is used, the best way 

 to give it to stock is to mix the quantity required with warm 

 water and pour it over the dry food, and then stir the whole 

 well. It is found, however, and this cannot be denied, that 

 treacle is not a nice material to handle, for it flows slowly 

 from a cask, and its stickiness is a distinct drawback. Also, 

 good quality treacle is often pilfered by the attendants, 

 although this can easily be prevented by mixing with it a 

 little coal-dust. The objections to which reference has 

 just been made have resulted in some absorbent substance 



