102 On the Composition and Nutritive Properties of 
mapfjolds undecided, we liave at all events 38 per cent, of fat- 
tenin<:i^ and very readily-dijjestible materials in favour of the 
roots. But against this must be placed the 7 per cent, albuminous 
compounds, and the 30 per cent, of crude fibre, which the pulp 
contains more than the roots. The question, therefore, would 
appear to resolve itself simply to this : Is 7 per cent, of albuminous 
compounds, and 30 per cent, of crude pulp-fibre, as valuable as 
38 per cent, of sugar? But it is not reallv quite so simple ; for, in 
comparing the crude fibre of the root with that of the pulp, we 
have assumed that both have the same feeding value ; which 
is not the case in reality. Of the crude fibre contained in the 
mangold, a much smaller portion is woody indigestible fibre than 
in that of the pulp ; for it includes insoluble pectinous com- 
pounds, which, under the action of sulphuric acid, employed in 
beet-root distilleries, aje readily transformed into sugar, and thus 
rendered soluble. The fibre of the pulp, after deducting the in- 
soluble albuminous compounds which remain attached to it, 
consists almost entirely of woody fibre. Weight for weight, 
therefore, the crude fibre of mangolds is more valuable than the 
crude fibre of the pulp. But even supposing the crude fibre of 
the pulp to be equally nutriticnis with the crude fibre of the root, 
I am not the less convinced that this 38 per cent, of soluble non- 
nitrogenous matters (consisting chiefly of sugar) contained in the 
latter will go farther in producing butcher' s-meat than the 7 per 
cent, of albuminous compounds, together with 30 per cent, of 
fibre found in the former ; and for this reason, — because we have 
already seen that the mangold in its natural state contains more 
than a sufficient quantity of flesh-forming or albuminous sub- 
stances to meet the requirements of the animal system. 
It is for these reasons that I consider mangolds more nutritious 
than pulp. We shall presently see how far these speculations 
are borne out bv actual experience. I may however be permitted 
to combat in this place the opinion, M'liich appears to be pretty 
generally entertained by French writers, that little or no feeding 
value is to be ascribed to sugar, and that, chiefly on this account, 
the pulp may be considered to be as nutritious as an equal 
weight of roots. In my opinion the sugar is by far the most 
important constituent in our root-crops ; and those .farmers who 
judge of the quality of their swedes or mangolds by the more 
or less sweet taste which they possess, may be satisfied that 
instinctively they rely on a trustworthy test. 
I shall now describe the experiments which I instituted with a 
view of testing practicalhj the relative feeding value of mangold 
and of pulp, the latter being the refuse of a distillery in which 
Leplay's system was adopted. 
Eight Cotswold sheep Avere divided into two lots. Before the 
