If fresh cossettes are fed to cows, in quantities per diem
representing 20 per cent. of the animal's weight, they have a thinning
effect. When the refuse has been siloed for eight months, and 12 per
cent. of the animal's weight is used, there will follow a slight daily
increase in weight. Better results may be obtained from cossettes that
have been kept for two years; with the latter, if cows eat only 7 per
cent. of their weight, considerable fattening follows. Consequently,
while beet refuse, after long keeping, loses 50 per cent. of its
weight, it appears in the end to be more economical for feeding
purposes than fresh cossettes direct from the battery.
During this period of keeping the percentage of water remains nearly
constant; fatty substances which were 0.08 per cent. become 0.74; and
the percentage of carbohydrates diminishes. Chemists are unable to
explain the changes that have taken place; if they are desirable, as
they appear to be, judging from the practical results just cited,
there is this question to be solved: What future have dried cossettes?
Evidently they offer advantages, as no one can doubt, such as a
decrease in weight and bulk, easy keeping for an indefinite time, etc.
At present, there is building a silo to contain 4,000 tons fresh
cossettes; this is to have the best possible system of drainage.
During the coming season it is proposed to analyze the water draining
from this mass of fermenting refuse; and we may then learn more than
we now know about the chemical changes above mentioned.
A correspondent of M. Sachs asks why it is not possible to use live
steam in defecating tanks. A simple calculation shows that the water
to be subsequently evaporated would be increased 10 per cent. This
evaporation would cost more than cleaning of copper coils, etc.,
combined with other difficulties existing appliances offer.
The question as to the most desirable number of beets necessary to
analyze to obtain an average has been in part settled. Factories
working 500 tons per diem should make at least 200 analyses of beets
received, which work offers no difficulty by the rapid methods now
used. Several samples should be taken from every cart load delivered,
then make average selections from the same.