70 STATE BOAKD OF AGRICULTURE. 



purpose of giving plain facts to tlie farmers of our State, who have not given 

 miicli attention to this subject. 



The experiments will be continuerl another season. AVe shall ])lant several 

 varieties uf corn, sn<zar cane, millet, and other forage crops, to ascertain as 

 far MS we can their comparative values for ensihige. 



Hoping tiiat the ex|)ense incnrred may result in giving practical information 

 of leal v;ilue, and so aiil in advancing the agricultural interests of our State, 

 I respectfully submit this report. 



The following is the report of Prof. Geo. H. Cook, referred to above: 



In this bulletin we give the results of a feeding experiment with corn en- 

 silage. 



On November IGtli four cows of native breed were taken from the herd at 

 the college farm, placed side by side in the same barn, and for a term of 

 ninety-one days were fed, exercised, and milked at the same time. 



During the first period of twenty-eight days a ration was divided among 

 theni, made up of twenty-two and one-half pounds of clover hay, forty-nine 

 pounds of wheat straw, seventy-five pounds of brewers' grains, seventv-five 

 pounds of turnips, and seven and one-h;i.lf pounds of cotton seed meal. It 

 was calculated to furuish daily to each 1,000 lbs. of live weight, 



2.5 lbs. fligpptible protehi. 

 5 H)S. (1i>^estil)le f.it. 

 12.5 lbs. digestible carbhydrates. 



This being, according to German investigatoi'S, the necessary amount of food. 

 For the second period of twenty-eight days no change was made in the ration 

 fed cows Nos. I and II, while in that fed III and IV, 100 pounds of ensilage 

 were substituted for 40 pounds of turnips; in other respects it remained the 

 same as that fed during the first period; it furnished daily to each 1,000 

 pounds of live weight, 



2.50 pounds digestible protein. 

 .90 pouni's dij^cstible fat. 

 14.90 puunds digestible carbhydrates. 



This was fed in order to determine whether an increased amount of the heat- 

 producing compounds, fat and starch, was rendered necessary by the severity 

 of tiie weather. The additional food caused no increase in the yield of milk; 

 cows I and II on the poorer ration gave during this period more milk than 

 during the preceding. 



Our intention thus far was to ascertain the quantity of food required to keep 

 these cows up to their full yield of milk. 



For the third period, of five weeks ending February 17, Nos. I and II were 

 fed the same as during the first and second periods; to III and IV an equal 

 amount of digestible food was given daily, in I'-iO pounds of ensilage and five 

 pounds of cotton seed meal per cow; it was eaten without waste and with ap- 

 parent relish. 



We tabulate below the yield of milk for 13 weeks. It must be remembered 

 that during the first period all four cows received the same ration ; that during 

 the second and third periods cows I and II received the same as during the 

 first; tliat cows III and IV were fed during the second period with an unusu- 

 ally rich ration, and during the third period with one made up of ensilage and 



