On Beet-root Fulp. 
159 
Like all old pulp it contained a sufficient amount of lactic 
acid to give it a strongly acid taste. 
In all other respects the Belgian pulp did not differ mate- 
rially in quality from the specimen of English pulp, the analysis 
of which is given above. 
Some years ago I published in this Journal two analyses of the 
pulp from common mangold-wurzel, which was obtained as a 
residue in the distillation of spirit from mangolds. One of the 
distillery pulps yielded 90"78 per cent., and the other 91 "84 per 
cent, of water, and both were much inferior in nutritive proper- 
ties to the residual pulp from beet-root sugar manufactories. In 
preparing spirit from beets, the soluble constituents are more 
thoroughly removed than in sugar factories, and, in consequence, 
distillery pulp has not the same feeding value as the pulp from 
beet-root sugar works. 
In the opinion of several French authorities beet-root pulp is 
equal, if not superior, in nutritive properties to the roots from 
which it is obtained. On the other hand, there are many 
persons who doubt the correctness of this view, because in the 
presses of the sugar manufacturer the sugar, which is the most 
fattening constituent of the roots, passes almost entirely into the 
juice, and is lost to the pulp. Beets without the sugar, it is 
said, surely cannot be so fattening as with it. This is self- 
evident ; however, the statement that pulp is more nutritious 
than the roots from which it is obtained as a refuse, does not 
imply that a ton of sugar-beets is less nutritious than a ton of the 
same roots, minus the expressed sugary juice, but it means that 
weight for weight, beet-root pulp is equal, if not superior, in 
feeding properties, to common mangolds, or to sugar-beets. The 
advocates of the view which ascribes a very high nutritive value 
to pulp are very confident of the correctness of their statements, 
which they say are the result of their practical experience in 
feeding cattle upon pulp. As far as I know, however, there 
exist no records of any trustworthy practical feeding experiments, 
from which might be gathered what is the real comparative 
nutritive nature of pulp, and the roots from which it is ob- 
tained. 
In the absence of such direct experiments, which would give 
us the most satisfactory information on this subject, the ana- 
lyses of common mangolds, sugar-beets, and pulp, supply us 
with data which will enable us, if I am not mistaken, to form 
a tolerably correct opinion with respect to the value of these 
three articles of food. 
In making comparisons between vegetable products, such as 
roots, or different kinds of green food, it is well to remember 
that their composition as well as their nutritive A'alue varies 
