108 



EXPERIMENTS WITH ENSILAGE, 



LOT II. 



The effect of ensilage in the mixed ration of this lot is very marked. For 

 the sake of perspicuity the feed and returns are given side by side. 



Period. 



First fortnight 



Second and third fort- 

 nights—average 



Feed Consumed Daily. 



Meal, 10 lbs.; hay, llX lbs.; cornstalks, 18 lbs 



Meal, 9X lbs.; hay, 13 r-lO lbs.; ensilage, 44 9-10 lbs. 



Gain in 



Weight 

 per fort- 

 night. 



63 lb?. 



Loss in 

 Weight 

 per fort- 

 night. 



10 lbs. 



The ration of this lot was a full one during all the time covered by the 

 above comparison; that is, the animals had all the rough feed they would eat. 



LOT III. 



This lot, of two dry cows, had 7 pounds meal, 15 pounds hay, 23 pounds corn- 

 stalks, 21 pounds oat straw, and .30 pounds roots, daily, for the first two weeks. 

 The gain in weight during this time was 52 pounds. 



During the second and third fortnights, the daily ration of this lot was 6f 

 pounds meal, 13f pounds hay, 18^ pounds each of cornstalks and oat straw, and 

 30 pounds ensilage. In other words the ensilage was substituted for roots, 

 pound for pound, while the dry feed ingredients of the ration were cut down a 

 little, to get the cows to eat the full allowance of ensilage. Again the gain in 

 weight was 52 pounds each fortnight. This lot and also lot II were divided at 

 the end of third fortnight. They will be noticed again. 



LOT IV. 



This lot, consisting of three bull calves, received daily during the first fort- 

 night, IG^ pounds meal, 29^- pounds hay, and 42 pounds roots. During the 

 second, third, and fourth fortnights, the average daily ration of the lot was 17 

 pounds meal, 14^ pounds hay, and 80f pounds ensihige. For the fifth and 

 sixth fortnights, the calves consumed daily, on the average, 17-2- pounds meal, 

 15f pounds hay, and 89^ pounds ensilage. The gains of the lot for the differ- 

 ent periods are here given: 



Pounds. 



First fortnight, gain in weight - 122 



Second, third, and fourth fortnights, average gain in weight per fortnight 107 

 Fifth and sixth fortnights, average gain in weight per fortnight 118.5 



The comparison seems to be unfavorable to ensilage; but before drawing any 

 conclusions let us review the facts. At the end of tlie first fortnight, ensilage 

 was made to take the place of the roots pound for pound, and also of 15 pounds 

 of the hay, three pounds for one. The ninety pounds of ensilage had in the 15 

 pounds hay and 45 pounds roots, a strong competitor, to say the least. The 

 calves could not take this allowance of ensilage, as the table clearly shows. Yet, 

 during the last two fortnights, on nearly the full feed of ensilage, the gains 

 approach very closely to that of the first period. 



2. By hidividnah: 



As Lots II and III were divided at the end of the third fortnight, the following 



