290 



STATE ROARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Two cows were used. Halo, a grade Jersey, six mouths in the period of 

 lactation, and weighing 750 pounds at the beginning of the experiment, 

 and Milla, a grade Shorthorn, three months in milk, and weighing 950 

 pounds. The basic ration was made up of 14.5 pounds of clover hay, 6.5 

 pounds of corn meal and 6.5 pounds of wheat bran per thousand pounds 

 live weight per day. The usual precautions were taken to secure repre- 

 sentative samples, and analyses were made of the feeding stuffs used, 

 with the following results, the figures under ash, protein, crude fiber, N. 

 free extract and fat referring to the proportion of these constituents in 

 the dry matter and not in the original substance. 



Composition of feeding stuffs. 



Bran 



Corn 



MaDgolds 

 Potatoes . 

 Hay 



Dry 



matter. 

 Per cent. 



87.2 

 87.8 

 9.5 

 21.00 

 88.00 



Ash. 

 Per cent, 



4.3 

 1.6 

 10.3 

 6.7 

 7.2 



Protein. 

 Per cent. 



15.69 

 13.18 

 15.31 



12.87 

 12.75 



Crude 



fiber. 



Per cent 



4.84 

 2.30 

 7.00 

 2.31 

 36.00 



Fat. 

 Per cent. 



4.0 

 5.2 

 2.00 

 .70 

 4.20 



N. free 

 extract. 

 Per cent. 



71.17 

 77.71 

 65.39 

 77.42 

 39.85 



After a preliminary period of 11 days, in which the cows were fed upon 

 the rations to be used in the first period of the actual experiment, the 

 first feeding period began. During its continuance the cows were fed 

 mangolds, with the ration of hay, cornmeal and bran. An intermediate 

 period followed, in which the mangolds were gradually removed and the 

 cows prepared for Period II, in which no roots were given. At the 

 close of this period the ration was again gradually changed by the addi- 

 tion of potatoes. It required ten days to accustom the cows to the new 

 ration, after which the third period of the test began. In Period I the 

 daily ration was composed of 14 pounds of clover hay, 6 pounds bran, 6 

 pounds of corn meal and 20 pounds of mangolds. In Period II the ration 

 was 14.5 pounds of clover hay, fed with six and one half pounds each 

 of bran and corn meal. In Period III the ration was 12.5 pounds of 

 clover hay, 6 pounds of bran, the same of corn meal and 15 pounds of 

 potatoes. The cows were fed their weighed rations at seven a. m.. and 

 5 p. m., in tight boxes on an elevated platform. The stalls were 

 thoroughly cleaned at the beginning of each period, and the cows were 

 placed in charge of attendants both day and night, whose duty it was 

 to collect separately the solid and liquid excrements. Records were 

 kept of the weights of each excreted and also of the weight of milk yielded 

 at each mess. A sample of the milk was put in a glass can and the 

 composite sample analyzed at the end of each three days. 



The duration of Period I was six days, of Period II six days and of 

 Period III four days. The following tables show the amount of hay, 

 grain and roots consumed by HaJo and Milla in the three periods, and 

 the amounts of dry matter, ash and nutrients which they contained: 



