146 Thirty-Sixth Annual Report of the 



had a chance. They have been inadequately fed. Here may be 

 cited the experiment of the Kansas Experiment Station pubHshed 

 in its bulletin 86. 



The Station authorities bought thirty scrub cows, which, it 

 is stated, appeared on the whole to be inferior in quality to the 

 average herds of the State. These were fed for an entire year 

 on rations rich in protein, designed to stimulate the milk flow. 

 The main roughage used was alfalfa hay, fed during the months 

 of barn feeding of as large quantities as the cows would take. 

 During outdoor life they had pasture with green kaffir corn for 

 soiling. The grain feeds used were mainly wheat bran, linseed 

 meal, kaffir corn and cornmeal ; about eight pounds daily in the 

 barn and three pounds while in pasture. These cows averaged 

 for the year 5700 pounds of milk and over 275 pounds of butter. 

 The best one yielded 9100 pounds and the poorest 3600 pounds 

 of milk, the best one nearly 450 pounds of butter and the poorest 

 nearly 160 pounds. 



The Kansas Station authorities collected the records of 82 

 herds in one of the leading dairy sections and found that the 

 average annual yield per cow was 3441 pounds of milk, or 150 

 pounds less than that of their poorest but well fed scrub cow ; 

 that the average yield of butter was 122 pounds, or 36 pounds 

 less than that of their poorest cow. The average return for but- 

 ter at the creameries was $19.79 per cow or $1.60 less than the 

 returns obtained from their poorest but well fed scrub cow, and 

 but little more than half as much as was returned by the average 

 of the entire herd. The Station authorities attribute their suc- 

 cess with this scrub herd to three causes : 



First, to the fact that at all times the rations given were 

 either balanced or contained an excess of protein, whereas the 

 average Kansas cow on dry feed usually got but half enough 

 protein. 



Second, to kindness and adequate shelter. 



Third, to the maintenance of a full milk yield throughout 

 the summer drought secured by extra feeding. 



Matters of sanitation and manure handling cannot be dis- 

 cussed at this time, important though they are to the solution of 

 this general problem. 



TKST ASSOCIATIONS. 



I wish to revert, however, once again to the weighing and 

 testing proposition and to tell you something of how this matter 

 is being handled to the north, east and west of us. 



