65 



LiMITAIONS TO THE SUBSTITUTION OF HaY FOIl WlIEAT 



Bran. 



Viewinp: the results of the two precedinii: experiiiients 

 together it is evident that the hay of hairy vetch is quite 

 as valuable as an equal weight of wheat bran, and that 

 a good quality of cowpea hay is worth 86 per cent, as 

 much as wheat bran. 



This would probably uot be true if we endeavored to 

 support a cow in full flow of milk on hay alone, or al- 

 most entirely on hay. These tests showed that in 

 rations containing 6 to 10 pounds of concentrated food 

 (cotton seed, wheat bran, etc.,) about 6.5 pounds of hay 

 of vetch or cowpea was practically as effective as, and 

 muct more economical than, wheat bran. In future 

 tests we hope to ascertain whether still larger amounts 

 of leguminous hay can be substituted for corresponding 

 quantities of wheat bran. 



TJeaders are cautioned against assuming that equally 

 favorable results would be obtained by the substitution 

 of limited amounts of grass hay for wheat bran. The 

 hay of vetch, cowpeas, crimson cover, red clover, and 

 alfalfa is quite similar in composition to wheat bran and 

 much richer in nitrogenous material than hay made from 

 the grasses. These leguminous plants just mentioned, 

 being rich in nitrogen, make not only rich food, but 

 rich manure. 



Not least among the considerations which should impel 

 the dairyman to displace wheat bran as far as practica- 

 ble AA-ith foods grown on the form is the possibility that 

 the wheat bran which he buys may be adulterated, even 

 to the extent of being made up of 30 per cent, ground 

 corn cobs. 



Still stronger reasons for supplanting wheat bran by 

 leg-uminous hay are the reduced cost of butter and the 



