256 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. XXVII, No. 5 
It is seen that all untreated materials showed a slight water-soluble 
acidity measured in terms of N/io NaOH, varying from 0.22 cc. N/10 
NaOH in the case of rice hulls to 1.14 cc. in the case of barley hulls. A 
slight acidity is normal to most feeding stuffs. The relatively high acidity 
of the barley hulls may be attributed to a slight fermentation of the con¬ 
siderable amount of carbohydrate present which had not been separated 
from the hulls. In the case of the treated materials, five lots showed a 
slight acidity, varying from 0.08 cc. to 0.42 cc. N/10 NaOH, and three 
lots showed a slight alkalinity, from 0.07 cc. to 0.16 cc. N/10 H 2 S 0 4 
per gram of substance. From these results it is evident that in the 
majority of cases there was no residual uncombined soda from the treat¬ 
ment left in the materials after thorough washing, and in those cases 
where there was any alkalinity it was so slight that it would be readily 
taken care of by the HC 1 in the animal's stomach. Care should, however, 
be used to wash out the soda after treatment as thoroughly as possible 
compatible with good practice. 
EFFECT OF THE TREATMENT ON THE PROXIMATE CONSTITUENTS OF THE HULLS 
The detailed results of all the proximate analyses, together with per¬ 
centage increases or decreases of the various constituents due to the 
action of the alkali, are given in the accompanying table. 
Table III .—Summary of the proximate analysis of grain hulls (untreated and treated) 
Labora¬ 
tory 
No. 
248 
503 
293 
337 
321 
512 
453 
491 
482 
449 
460 
485 
494 
1 
Material. 
! Mois¬ 
ture as 
fed. 
Oat hulls, untreated.. 
7. 70 
5-77 
Oat hulls, treated i per cent NaOH. 
Percentage increase or decrease due to 
treatment... 
Oat hulls, treated 1.5 per cent NaOH. 
Percentage increase or decrease due to 
treatment. 
4 - 05 
Rice hulls, untreated. 
6. 25 
3- 61 
Rice hulls, treated 1.5 per cent NaOH. 
Percentage increase or decrease due to 
treatment. 
Rice hulls, treated 3 per cent NaOH. 
Percentage increase or decrease due to 
treatment. 
5 - 92 
Barley hulls, untreated. 
6. 76 
6. 24 
Barley hulls, treated 1 per cent NaOH. 
Percentage increase or decrease due to 
treatment... 
Barley hulls, treated 1.5 per cent NaOH. 
Percentage increase or decrease due to 
treatment. 
5 - 09 
Cottonseed hulls, untreated. 
Cottonseed hulls, treated 1.5 per cent NaOH. 
Percentage increase or decrease due to 
treatment. 
6. 93 
5 - 15 
Flax shives, untreated. 
6. 78 
5 - 54 
Flax shives, treated 1.5 per cent NaOH. 
Percentage increase or decrease due to 
treatment.. 
Dry matter basis. 
Total 
ash. 
Crude 
protein. 
Crude 
fiber. 
N-free 
extract. 
Crude 
fat. 
6- 33 
5-69 
2. 26 
2.05 
33- 24 
34- 8 o 
57- 24 
56.99 
0.93 
•47 
— 10.12 
5- 23 
~9- 30 
1-37 
+4- 69 
40. 20 
—•44 
52. 65 
-49. 47 
•55 
-17-38 
19.06 
17.46 
—39- 39 
3. 02 
2.51 
+20.93 
41. 80 
46.08 
—8. 02 
35- 38 
33-41 
—40. 86 
•75 
-58 
—8. 40 
13- 13 
— 16. 89 
1.83 
4-10. 23 
50. 26 
-5.57 
34- 23 
—22. 67 
• 55 
—31- 12 
4- 50 
4- 74 
-39- 40 
10. 81 
1 10.41 
+ 20. 23 
i5- 56 
18.97 
—3- 25 
66. 86 
63.89 
—26. 67 
2. 27 
1. 99 
+ 5- 33 
4- 33 
-3-63 
9- 25 
+ 21.91 
19.03 
“4- 45 
65.40 
— 12. 34 
I. 99 
-3- 78 
2. 13 
2- 75 
— 14.44 
4. 08 
3.03 
+22.30 
43- 99 
49.83 
— 2. 18 
48. 60 
43-55 
— 12. 34 
I. 19 
.84 
+ 29. 10 
4.09 
5-35 
-25- 74 
5- 24 
4. 41 
+ 13- 27 
53- 81 
62. 84 
—-io. 40 
35- 05 
26. 07 
—29- 42 
1.8x 
1.33 
+3°- 81 
-15. 84 
+ 16. 77 
-25- 63 
—26. 52 
-f Increase. — Decrease. 
The treatment relatively increased the fiber and decreased all other 
constituents except ash, which was increased in three instances. The 
considerable increase in ash in cottonseed hulls and flax shives can prob¬ 
ably be explained by considering it as a relative increase, the ash of these 
