1882.] farmers' convention. 69 



was established two years ago, very much on the plan of ours, 

 and in connection with the Agricultural College of the State 

 of New Jersey, which owns a farm, so that the station has 

 been able to make some experiments on the feeding of cows, 

 based upon the German results. These trials proved conclu- 

 sively, as the figures show — (I shall reprint them in my report 

 this year for the benefit of the farmers of Connecticut) — that 

 a large saving in the cost of maintaining those animals was 

 realized simply by varying the proportions of the nutrient 

 elements of the feeding materials. By changing from the. 

 common hay ration, with a little grain, which is usually given 

 in that part of New Jersey, adding a calculated proportion of 

 cotton-seed meal and some other ingredients, so as to give a 

 balanced ration, they obtained with much less cost, the same 

 product in the way of milk that they had before, and effected 

 a saving, if I remember rightly, of some thirty per cent. 



We start here, then, at a great advantage. We have the 

 benefit of many years' hard work at the numerous experiment 

 stations in Germany and other European countries. It is full 

 time that the State of Connecticut placed our experiment 

 station on a proper basis. It ought to have, in the first place, 

 the undivided services of some capable man as director, which 

 it has not now. It ought to have its own grounds and labora- 

 tories, built in a style adapted to its purposes, and a full com- 

 plement of able chemists, and assistants, with all needed 

 apparatus and materials for carrying on the work of investi- 

 gation by the methods which the science and art of our time 

 have put at our command. 



Recess until 2 o'clock. 



