UNSEED OIL MEAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 January 1918, Page 2

UNSEED OIL MEAL.

Thus the Melbourne Argus regarding linseed oil meal.— The necessity for economical methods of feeding live stock is of paramount importance nt the present time. Those who make a business of fattening should aim at cutting down the expenses of production as much as possible. Moat of the foods ordinarily used are deficient in albuminoids, which r.re essential for promoting growth and forming fiesh. Animals cannot continue to grow satisfactorily unless given fuod that provides a margin of fiesh and bohe making material over and above the daily supply required for bodily maintenance. In neaily ali cases vou.i s - growing animals must digest from their food one part of albuminoid for each four to four and a half parts of carbohydrate. Each pound of digested food should therefore contain from three and a half to four ounces of albuminoid. There is no better way of supplying the necessary proportion of albuminoid than in the form of linseed oil meal, of which 11,000 tons is annually produced by one firm in Australia. Some stock-owners entertain the idea that most of the nourishing constituents of the linseed are lost in \j)u> process of manufacture. The following analysis of linseed oil meal is proof to the contrary:— Moisture, 7.4 per cent. Fat, 11.00 per cent. f Albuminoids, 30.00 per cent. Carbohydrates, 35.00 per cent Fibre, 0.94 per cent. Ash, 0.1 per cent. Only the excess of oil which is of no feeding value is removed. One ton of oil is expressed from three tons of whole linseed, and all the food that was in the seed remains in the oil meal. The amount of albuminoid supplied by lib of the digestible matter of oats is a little over 2 3-40z., of barley hardly 20z., of maize ljoz., of bran 30z., and of linseed oil meal Ooz. It would require all the digestible matter in 51b of barley to supply the same quantity of albuminoid as the digestible matter of less than 21b of linseed oil meal. This valuable concentrated meal, whidh is largely used iu other countries, is a cheap and effective addition to other fodders. Practical stock feeders who realise its value are satisfied that there is no better or more economical food to nourish young stock. Animals require to consume and digest less other feed when' it forms part of the ration, hence there is i. considerable saving. Owing to the Australian farmers not being fully aware of the value of ibis meal, Meggitt's had to Ship to England during the past six months several hundred'tons, which has realised about £l9 per. ton, almost double the price at which it is sold in Australia.