30 
IMPERIAL COLLEGE OP 
VI. Straw of Paddy and Upland Rice. 
A specimen of pacldy rice straw harvested on Novem¬ 
ber 9th, 1885 in a rather overripe state was examined as to 
its composition and digestibility by Mr. M. Kaneko toward 
the end of the same month. The sheep employed were both 
wethers of the Southdown breed, about three years old. 
A small ration, only 600 Grams with 10 Grams of common 
salt per day and head was given in the experiment, in order 
to have the food consumed as completely as possible, more¬ 
over, to prevent the animals from picking out only the 
most palatable parts, as panicles and leaves, the straw was 
chopped into lengths of about l 1 ^ centimeters. The whole 
amount for the trial had been cut and well mixed before 
the experiment was commenced. Sheep No. II consumed 
its ration, indeed, almost completely, while the other animal 
had not much appetite for the straw and excreted very soft 
fasces. 
The proportions of straw left uneaten, the weight of 
the fasces and the live-weights are compiled in the follow¬ 
ing table : 
November 
1885. 
Sheep No. 
I. 
Sheep No. II. 
Straw 
left 
Grams. 
Fæces. 
Grams. 
Live- 
weight. 
Kilog. 
Straw 
left. 
Grams. 
Fæces. 
Grams. 
Live- 
weight 
Kilog. 
24. 
42.5 
595.5 
42.1 
11.0 
486.0 
37.6 
25. 
18.0 
526.0 
41.8 
8.0 
433.0 
37.9 
26. 
38.0 
505.0 
41.8 
0.7 
344.0 
37.6 
27. 
54.5 
1270.5 
41.6 
2.0 
591.0 
37.3 
28. 
47.5 
1088.5 
40.6 
3.5 
785.5 
37.1 
29. 
111.0 
1431.0 
40.0 
1.0 
612.5 
36.8 
30. 
51.0 
1320.5 
40.0 
.0 
626.0 
36.8 
Dec. 1. 
3.0 
1054.0 
39.4 
0.5 
675.0 
37.3 
Per day 
45.75 
973.88 
— 
3.34 
566.88 
— 
