NARAIN DAS KEHAR
weight gained by the control group. The animals
in the first three groups invariably left a residue of
1 to 3 lb. during the course of this observation
which suggests that the ration could be slightly
decreased. All through this period the animals
maintained good health.
TABLE IX
Group
I
Basal ration . .
II
Basal ration ½ lb. pipal,
and ½ lb. shrubberry
leaves III
Basal ration Grass roots
and grass I lb.
IV
Control group on dairy
ration
No. of
calf
50 }
59
53 }
60
51 }
52
55 }
56
Date
of
birth
10-2-39
26-4-39
7-3-39
26-5-39
18-2-39
28-2-39
12-3-39
14-4-39
Live-
weight
at the
begin-
ning
of the
experi-
ment
528 }
401
523 }
451
455 }
490
490 }
472
Average
464
487
472
482
Live-
weight
at the
conclusion
of the
experi-
ment
566 }
434
582 }
498
514 }
518
562 }
552
Average
500
540
516
557
Total
gain
in
weight
of
the
group
36
53
44
75
Per
cent
gain
in
weight
7.9
10.9
9.2
15.5
Gain in
weight
expressed
as per
cent of
control
group
30.9
70.03
59.4
..
GENERAL DISCUSSION
From the foregoing observations, it appears that
in spite of the long-term feeding experiments, the
two general requirements, i.e. (a) palatability and
(b) maintenance of health, were satisfied. It may,
however, be pointed out that munj is very tough,
and when the animals are first changed over to this
ation from the normal ration they refuse it. Thus
in practice when munj roughage is to be used, the
animals should either be gradually introduced to
it or they should be given a reduced allowance for
about a week. In the famine areas, however,
conditions are obviously different, for cattle will
even feed greedily upon the bone-dry munj of roof
thatchings. When these animals were offered the
munj-molasses mixture they relished it immensely.
There appears to be some prejudice against
molasses as cattle feed. It is believed by cultiva-
tors and cattle breeders that molasses produces too
much heat. Labh Singh and Ghambir Singh
[1934] in their experiments on feeding molasses
observed that in winter months (January to April)
molasses could be fed economically up to a maxi-
mum of 4 lb. per animal (1,000 to 1,200 lb. body
weight) per day without any ill effects, but in
summer months (July to September) the animals
deteriorated in health and their dung became
watery and dark in colour. Some went off their
feed, while in others the respiration became very
rapid during the hotter part of the day.
In the temperate regions, however, Morrison
[1937] and most of the other workers found it suit-
able for use all through the year. Not only has
it been advocated as a rich source of carbohydrate
[Henke 1934 ; Snell 1935 ; Skinner and King, 1936-
37 ; Snell and Taggart, 1933 ; and Morrison, 1937],
but of other essential food constituents as well.
Harris, Mosher and Bunker [1933] found that
molasses was second only to liver as a source of
available iron. The total iron content of three
samples varied from 3.2 to 11.3 mg. per 100 gm.
and the availability ranged from 54 to 97 per cent.
Cunningham [1934] observed that molasses is a
valuable source of minerals, in particular of Ca
and Mg.
Briggs and Hellen [1940], however, pointed out
after a series of digestibility trials that the inclu-
sion of large amounts of molasses lowered the
digestibility of the nutrients in the ration, espe-
cially that of fat and protein.
In order to determine whether the cumulative
feeding of molasses exercised any ill effects on milk
production and breeding efficiency of cows, Henke
[1934] fed it to cows for a period of seven consecu-
tive years and found that throughout the long-
term -test there was no decrease or increase in milk
production, though there was a slight increase in
fat production as compared with that of the con-
trol group. There was no increase in the number