78 Report of the Department of Animal Husbandry of the 



inferior palatability of some grades of dried blood and the poor 

 keeping qualities or continual variations in composition of differ- 

 ent lots of the other foods, they were not so suitable for use in 

 these experiments. 



Green alfalfa was fed to all lots. Oyster shells and grit were 

 fed to the hens and sand and coarse grit to the chicks and duck- 

 lings. 



valuation of foods. 



I- In estimating the cost of the foods the same valuations have 

 been assumed, for convenience of comparison, that had been 

 used in the preliminary series of experiments, although they are 

 most of them lower than the present market prices and those that 

 existed during part of the last series of experiments. Wheat 

 bran, wheat middlings, corn meal, malt sprouts and brewer's 

 grains were rated at $13 per ton, pea meal at $13.50, buckwheat 

 middlings at $14.40, ground oats at $16, linseed meal at $20, 

 gluten meal at $23, ground flaxseed, bone ash and animal meal 

 at $40 per ton. Corn was rated at 40 cents per bushel, barley 

 at 39 cents, oats at 26 cents, and wheat at 80 cents. Alfalfa hay 

 was rated at $10 and green alfalfa at $2 per ton. 



In these experiments the cost of the ration could only be a 

 secondary consideration ; but only ordinary foods were used and 

 the relations between valuations is a natural one, similar to what 

 would generally exist between rations of vegetable and mixed 

 origin. The data in regard to the food cost of growth are there- 

 fore important. 



The food used in the first series of experiments had the aver- 

 age composition^ shown in the accompanying table. 



1 Most of the analyses of foods used in these experiments were made by Mr. 

 J. A. Le Clerc. Some ash analyses were made by Mr. W. H. Andrews. Very 

 much of the credit is due to Mr. P. F. O'Neill ; for the successful control of 

 the experiments has been dependent on his careful and skillful management. 



