66 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



1. By Lots 



Com2)arisons Based on the Table. 



LOT I. 



During the first fortnight this lot had a daily ration of 14 pounds meal, 63 

 pounds dry cornstalks, and 30 pounds roots — a full ration. During the sec- 

 ond and tliird fortnights, tiie daily I'ation was 14 pounds meal as before, and 

 109 pounds ensilage — a full ration during the second fortnight, but the cows 

 would have eaten more ensilage during tl)e third, had it been given them. 

 During the fourth, fifth, and sixth fortnights the daily ration was again 14 

 pounds meal, and 129 pounds ensilage — a full ration. 



Here are the results : 



PERIODS COMPARED. 



First fortniojlit 



Second, :nid third fortnight 



Fourth, fifth, and sixth fortnight 



Average gain 



in wdiglit 

 per fortnight. 



tbs. 



4. 

 1. 



24.66 



Average Milk 



jieUI 

 per fortnight 



tbs. 

 421 .50 

 392.75 

 362.17 



Daily average 



yield 



of Milk. 



It)S. 



30.107 

 28.054 

 25.869 



Although the 92 pounds of roots and fodder had been entirely substituted 

 by 109 pounds ensilage, — little more than pound for pound, — the returns of 

 the second and third fortnights are little below the first; and when the ensi- 

 lage is increased during the next three fortnights to 129 pounds, — less than 1| 

 pounds ensilage to one pound of fodder and roots, — the results are consider- 

 ably better than during the first period. Of course, in interpreting the 

 results of the above feeding, the natural shrinkage in milk yield must be 

 taken into account. That the above shrinkages are not great, the following 

 comparison -will clearly show. Stewart Queen, — the only other cow that 

 became fresh at the same time of year, — dropped her first calf Aug. 28, 1881. 

 This cow had all the dry cut cornstalks she would eat, a little hay occasion- 

 ally, a meal ration, richer but a little lighter than that of Lot I, and, during 

 February, a peck of roots daily. 



Here are the figures : 



ANIMALS COMPARED. 



Stewart Queen 



Lot I— average of two cows 



Weight 

 Dec. JBt, 



ItlS. 



1,040 

 1,080 



V/eight 

 Kcl). -Xii, 



18rf2. 



Its. 

 1,0(10 

 1,120 



Daily 



Avrrago 

 Dec. 1-15. 



lbs. 



9.71 



15.05 



Daily 

 Averagi'. 

 I'\'b. 1-J3. 



tbs. 

 8.15 

 12.67 



Per Cent 



of 



Shrink. 



age. 



tbs. 



16.07 



15.81 



Stewart Queen is 3| years old, and Nos. 1 and 2 of Lot I, 3 and 3 5-12 

 years respectively. It will be seen at once, from the above figures, that the 

 cows in L>t I not only gave, on the average, about 5 pounds moi-e milk daily 

 apiece, but their per cent of shrinkage is less than that of Stewart Queen. 

 Nor is this all ; for the cows of Lot I gain 40 pounds in weight apiece, while 

 the other cow loses 40 pounds. A reference to the table will show, too, that 

 the gain in weight of this lot was almost wholly upon the meal and ensilage 

 ration. 



