126 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



So far as my own work for the past year is concerned, may I be 

 permitted to say that it has been confined almost exclusively to the 

 study of the associative action of bacteria in the souring of milk; in 

 other words, what influence some saprophytic germs have upon the 

 growth and development of lactic acid bacteria. I have issued two bul- 

 letins upon my work thus far, and the work, practically completed, and 

 done in association with Mr. Wright and Mr. Howard, will present 

 further results along this same line. We feel that this field is only 

 fairly opened, and hope that the future will reveal much more than we 

 have already accomplished. 



Besides the above work, we have been called upon to do some testing 

 and experimenting in connection with hog cholera — like epidemics and 

 the Grand Traverse cattle disease. Other work is in progress, but it is 

 only in an incipient stage, consequently, it is not worthy of mention. 



T wish to acknowledge personally my indebtedness to those who have 

 assisted in the work of the department in one way or another, and 

 especially, to the efficient services of Messrs. Edwards, Wright, Howard 

 and Parker. 



Very respectfullv submitted, 



CHARLES E. MARSHALL. 

 Agricultural College, Mich. 

 June 30, 1904. 



REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Director C. D. Smith: 



The following is a brief report of the work done in live stock experi- 

 mentation during the year ending June 30, 1904 : 



BEEP CATTLE. 



During this year the fourth of a series of experiments in beef cattle 

 feeding was completed. The primary object of these experitoents has 

 been to determine the relative amounts of beef which could be produced 

 from the product of equal areas of corn fed in three different forms, 

 viz.: as silage, shock corn, and corn and cob meal and stover. For the 

 purpose of this experiment twenty-four Shorthorn grade steers were 

 purchased in Chicago on October 14, 1903. Three lots of six each were 

 fed on the corn products, the fourth lot was fed raw beet pulp during the 

 first feeding period and dried beet pulp during the second. This experi- 

 ment was completed on March 9, 1904, after a twelve-weeks' test. Records 

 have been kept not only of the performance of the various lots, but also of 

 each individual as well, so that the record of each can be traced through- 

 out every period from start to finish. In part this work duplicated that 

 of the previous year. 



The following rations were used: 



(1) Corn, 4 pounds; bran, 2 pounds; linseed meal^ 1 pound. 



(2) Corn, 4 pounds; bran, 2 pounds; linseed meal, 1 pound; dried beet 

 pulp, 7 pounds. 



