No. 7. 



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



585 



ration contained a larger amount of dry matter than the feed ration. 

 This experiment continued through a period of 30 days, and the 

 results were as follows: 



Cost. Yield of: 





Cost to produce: 

 100 lbs. 1 It). 



3 



I 



3 



n 



Cow pea hay ration. 

 Feed ration 



Cts. 

 8.82 

 12.60 



As in the other cases, the total yield of milk was greater from the 

 feed ration than from the home-grown ration, though the cost of 

 the feed ration was much greater, making the cost per hundred of 

 milk and per pound of butter over 50 per cent, greater than for the 

 home-grown ration. 



These experiments, while they show that pound for pound the 

 nutrients combined in the home-grown products are less digestible 

 than those obtained in purchased feeds, the lower rate of digesti- 

 bility is not sufiflcient in any case to make the cost of product greater, 

 but was in every case sufficiently high to reduce the cost of the 

 animal products obtained from 50 to over 100 per cent. 



One point that has not yet been clearly settled in reference to 

 the matter, is whether the continued feeding of so large a propor- 

 tion of roughage as must be used, in order to supply the nutrients 

 in sufficient amounts and in good proportions, would have any un- 

 favorable etfect upon the health and vigor of the animal. So far as 

 the experiments were concerned, there was no apparently unfavor- 

 able influence, and experiments are now in progress to study this 

 point more fully. 



Unfortunately, too, we have no data in the Eastern states in 

 reference to the substitution of these products for concentrated 

 feeds, in the making of beef or mutton, or in the raising of young 

 stock, though abundant proof from many Western states, where 

 alfalfa is a leading crop, of the advantages in the making of beef and 

 mutton, and I have no doubt that the principles which have proven 

 true in the feeding of dairy cows would be applicable in the feeding 

 of beef. 



The points of practical importance that have been established, 

 are that the growth of these crops is entirely practicable, that they 

 may be produced at a cost much lower than now has to be paid for 

 the same class of nutrients in concentrated feeds, and that their 

 substitution for those feeds in rations will result in a reduction in 

 the cost per unit of product. It only remains for the farmers, who 

 have not practiced this method, to learn all they can concerning 

 the crops suitable for the work, and to experiment themselves under 

 their own conditions. 



38 



