VETCH, COW PEA AND SOY BEAN HAY AS SUB- 

 STITUTES FOR WHEAT BRAN. 



By J. F. DuGGAR. 



SUMMARY. 



The object of the feedino: experiments herein de- 

 scribed was to ascertain whether hay made fnau hairy 

 vetch, cowpeas and soy beans could be advantageously 

 substituted for most of the wheat bran in the ration of 

 dairy cows. 



Tlie foUowino- values per ton were used in calculat- 

 ing the cost of fo(xi : 



Wheat bran, |20.00; vetch hay, flO.OO; co^vpea hay, 

 110.00; cotton seed .|12.00; cotton seed meal, |20.00; 

 cotton seed hulls, $5.00, 



Vetch hay proved fully equal in feeding value to a 

 similar weight of wheat bran. Bv this substitution the 

 cost of the food required to make a pound of butter 

 was reduced 25 per cent., which is equivalent to a 

 monthly saving of |22.20 in a herd of twenty cows. 



With the vetch ration the cost of food for one pound 

 of butter averaged 10 cents in conti'act with 13.4 

 cents when wheat bran was fed. 



The waste in feeding vetch hay was, with most cows, 

 about 6 per cent, of the amount offered and with cow- 

 pea hay about 16 per cent. ; the latter residue, being 

 unless, is charged as a part of the ration. 



That portion of the cowpea hay actually eaten 

 proved fully equal in feeding value to a similar weight 

 of wheat bran. Charging the cows witli all the cowpea 

 hay offered them, we find that cowpea hay had 86 per 



