342 



BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



No grain was left, the weights of unconsumed food given below 

 consisting of hay : 



Except in the one case mentioned, the weight of food not eaten 

 was too small to perceptibl3' influence the results. 



(2) Gain or loss of weight of coius. The following is a record of 

 the weights of the cows at beginning and end of each period. 



These figures are the average of four weighings on as many con- 

 secutive days. 



There was a failure to preserve the record of the weights of the 

 cows at the end of the last period, so that the data in this direction 

 are not so full as is desirable. The weights recorded, however, show 

 ver}^ little variation, and it is difRcult to establish any relation be- 

 tween the small changes that did occur and the increase or decrease 

 in milk production, especially when an animal sometimes shows 

 greater variations in weight which are not attributable to gain or loss 

 of flesh. 



(3) Variations of temperature. These experiments were con- 

 tinued through January, February and March. The average monthly 

 temperatures at Orono were the following : January, 14.2° F. ; Feb- 

 ruary , 17.75° F. and March, 25.9° F. The higher temperature of 

 March was favorable to the increased production of the third period, 

 but the fact that February was slightly warmer than January does 



