EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS 87 



Much of the history of the feeding of these cows for the year and the 

 lessons to be drawn from the experiments performed with them, has been 

 written up in bulletin form to be issued as Bulletin 149. Since this pub- 

 lication will undoubtedly issue prior to this report, reference is made to 

 it for the essential facts in the history of the herd. 



A critical study of the feeding of the cows for the past two years has 

 shown that for cows in full milk, although rapidly developing, the daily 

 ration did not contain on the average more than 23.57 pounds of dry 

 matter, 2.06 pounds of protein, and 12.-5 pounds of carbohydrates per 

 thousand pounds live weight where the average daily yield of fat was 

 1.21 pounds. 



The repeated condemnation of cows in the regular dairy herd demons- 

 trated the necessity of having better stables, better ventilated, and to 

 which the sunlight could be more largely admitted. The large crops of 

 clover hay and of corn made it seem wise to purchase a herd of grade 

 cows to consume this extra forage. A new dairy barn was therefore 

 built in August and September, and a grade dairy herd purchased in 

 September and October. 



Experimentally considered, it was designed to test the development of 

 the cows. Grade Shorthorns were purchased as far as possible. They 

 were bought under the conditions that surround the farmer when he 

 desires to purchase such stock in the early fall. These cows are to be 

 fed with a view to the most economical production of milk and butter, 

 and farther to see how rapidly they can be developed and their milk- 

 giving abilities increased. 



A description of the barn will be given in Bulletin 149, already in the 

 hands of the printer. 



Owing to the use of the barn, heretofore occupied by pens of feeding 

 lambs, for the tuberculous cattle, it was impossible to try experiments 

 in feeding sheep during the winter of '96-97. For the same reason experi- 

 ments with fattening pigs were omitted for that year. 



The poultry, of which the Station owns representatives of many of 

 the leading breeds was managed during the year for the purpose of 

 giving instruction to students and in continuation of the experiments of 

 the preceding year in regard to fattening young chickens, feeding laying 

 liens and the management of incubators. 



II. FIELD EXPERIMENTS. 



The plot experiments during the season of 1897 were in charge of 

 Prof. Crozier, except when he was necessarily absent from the College 

 by reason of ill health. Below is given an outline of the field experi- 

 ments, the full details of which are either on file for future bulletins 

 or already published. 



Wheat — Twenty-five acres of wheat were sown in the fall of 1896. 

 Nearly one-half was Buda Pesth, the remaining varieties grown under 

 field conditions were Red Lorraine, Red Altkirche, Sterling,* Pride of 

 Genesee, Russian, Dawson's Golden Chaff, Selected White Clauson, 

 Diehl-Mediterranean and Currill. In small plots or drills there were also 

 sown samples of Long Amber, Early Arcadian, Missoyen, Volo, Plym- 

 outh Rock, Krimsh, Gray Winter, Red Bearded, Barnatka, Perfection, 



♦Purchased under this name as a new variety but evidently Egyptian. 



