72 



GENERAL AGRICULTURAL NOTES. 



[Sept. 1894. 



Sunflower-seed Cake. 



The hiffh nutritive value of Russian suntlower-seed-meal as a 

 fodder for animals is attracting some attention iu Germany. 

 R-ecent analyses of the meal by Dr. R. Theodor have appeared in 

 the Deutsche Landuiirthschaftliche Presse. His opinion, after 

 reviewing the analyses of previous investigators, is that the 

 per-centage of albuminoids in sunflower-meal may now be 

 confidently stated at a higher figure than has hitherto been the 

 case. 



Some previous analyses have given results ranging from 44*44 

 to 47'62 per cent, of albuminoids, and from 12*02 to 13-50 per cent, 

 of fat. Dr. Theodor, how^ever, finds that in the case of finely- 

 sifted meal the relative proportions may be as high as 49*3 per 

 cent, albuminoids to 11*44 per cent. fats. The amount of water 

 is stated to vary from 4 to 10 per cent. 



As regards the best form in which to utilise the meal a 

 difference of opinion appears to exist amongst agriculturists, 

 some being in favour of mixing the meal with water, while 

 others prefer to use it in the dry state. The former method is, 

 as Dr. Theodor observes, open to the objection that the meal 

 does not diffuse itself uniformly throughout the water, but falls 

 as a precipitate to the bottom of the vessel. Consequently 

 there is need of unremitting attention to keep the vessel perfectly 

 clean as a precaution against the growth of mould-fungi, which 

 otherwise would soon appear and render the water and food-stuff 

 not only useless but even injurious. 



It appears, therefore, that the dry method, in which the meal 

 is merely sprinkled upon roots, straw or chaff', is upon the whole 

 preferable. Most oil-cakes can readily be broken up into a fine 

 meal, but sunflower- cake is, it seems, an exception. It is so 

 hard that cattle find some difficulty in chewing the larger pieces. 

 For this reason it is considered advisable to grind it before use 

 into as fine a meal as possible in order to render it more 

 digestible. 



Many agriculturists prefer to use the cake coarsely ground 

 rather than finely ground, apparently under the impression that 

 the additional salivation induced by masticating a coarser food 

 renders the meal more readily digested in the stomach. But it 

 is pointed out by Dr. Theodor that ptyalin, the active principle 

 of the saliva, acts only upon insoluble starch-containing substances, 

 converting them into soluble grape sugar, whereas upon albumi- 

 noids and fats it has no action whatever. Digestion of albumi- 

 noids and fat does not commence until these materials reach the 

 stomach and intestine. The additional mastication is, therefore, 

 of advantage in the case of food containing starch, but for 

 abuminoid and fats it is by no means essential. 



As regards digestibility, it has been shown by Dr. E. von 

 Wolff that in the case of sunflower-seed-cake about 89*6 per 

 cent, of the raw albuminoids and about 87*9 per cent of the 



