86 
The: CoIvOrado Expe:rime:nt Station. 
facts exhibited by the results of this proximate analysis offer any 
suggestions regarding the reasons for so great a difference in the 
feeding values of these fodders. 
§203. We will later give a reason for the assertion that the 
alcoholic extract is the most important portion of the fodder and we 
observe that the proteids of the saltbush, soluble in alcohol and di¬ 
gestible, is greater even than in alfalfa, so that it would seem prob¬ 
able that this portion of the saltbush, unless it should contain some 
therapeutically active and deleterious substance, is probably the 
most valuable portion of this fodder, but if the fuel values are safe 
criteria, it is of comparatively small value compared with that of the 
corresponding alfalfa extract, giving a little over one-half the en¬ 
ergy. This, of course, applies to the whole extract from which we 
cannot single out the effect of the nitrogenous matter. 
§204. The carbohydrates in the alfalfa and the saltbush are 
evidently quite different; if we take the total sugars as the measure, 
they stand as 9 to 26, there having been fed with the alfalfa, carbo¬ 
hydrates capable of giving 900 grams of sugars, while the saltbush 
gave 2,600 grams. The furfurol also indicates a great difference. 
There was consumed with the alfalfa 1,030 grams of furfurol and 
1,524 grams with the saltbush. The coefficient of digestion for the 
furfurol in the alfalfa was 65.2, and for that in the saltbush 37.4. 
The weight of alfalfa fed was 13,351 grams, and of saltbush 16,088 
grams. The difference in the coefficients of digestion is also very 
marked, 37.4 in the case of the saltbush and 65.2 in that of the al¬ 
falfa. The difference in the character of the carbohydrates is still 
further indicated by the low degree of digestibility shown by the 
residue, which I have for convenience sake called cellulose, which is 
29 for that from the saltbush and 53 for that from the alfalfa. The 
action of chlorin, together with the subsequent washing with sodic 
hydrate and sulfurous acid does not show as great a difference in 
these cases as in that of some other fodders, though the amount re¬ 
moved from the saltbush is the greater by about 1.6 pounds per 
hundred. This portion of the fodder seems to be uniformly very 
difficult of digestion, the coefficient in the case of the saltbush being 
but 6.3. I have elsewhere suggested that the low coefficient uni¬ 
formly obtained for this portion of the fodder may be apparent only, 
due possibly to a close resemblance between it and fecal matter, as 
we have found this portion in the feces larger than the total fed in 
several instances. The hydric chlorid with which the fodders were 
boiled till no more sugars were produced, also shows a decided dif¬ 
ference. The alfalfa consumed, 12,364 grams, yielded but 340 
grams of sugar, calculated as galactan, whereas the 16,088 grams 
of saltbush yielded 1,455 gi'ams of sugar calculated as xylan; here 
again the coefficients of digestion indicate wide difference of proper- 
