25 



ration, oats and corn, half and half, and bran and corn, half and half, 

 have generally equivalent feeding values. 



Bermuda gi-ass hay and timothy hay, fed in addition to corn, were 

 compared with working mules at the Mississippi Station." No marked 

 differences in the cost of the rations nor in the gains made by the 

 mules were observed. 



The Oklahoma Station ^ reports a test in which Kafir corn stover was 

 fed to horses and mules, the amount eaten by the horses averaging 

 some 32 pounds per day and by the mules some 41 pounds. From 

 this and tests of other farm animals the conclusion was drawn that 

 Kafir corn stover is about equal in feeding value to corn stover, and 

 that running stalks through a thrashing machine is a satisfactory 

 method of preparing this feeding stuff. 



At the Utah Station ^ a ration of timothy hay and grain was com- 

 pared with one consisting of clover, oats, and wheat, two lots of work 

 horses being used. The nutritive ratio of the first ration was 1:14.8; 

 of the second, 1:5.5. For more than half the test the grains were fed 

 unground. Somewhat better results were obtained with a ration hav- 

 ing the narrower nutritive ratio. However, in a second test,*^ the 

 ration having a wide nutritive ratio (1:15.2) gave results as satisfactory 

 as the one having a narrower ratio (1:7.8). 



Later, at the Utah Station, the comparative merits of alfalfa hay and 

 timothy hay were investigated by L. A. Merrill *" in tests with work 

 horses and driving horses, which extended over four years. In some of 

 the tests as much as 25 pounds of alfalfa or timothy hay with 10 pounds 

 of bran and shorts was fed per head dail3\ In other tests the amount 

 of hay was considerably smaller and the amount of grain larger. In 

 some cases oats were fed instead of bran and shorts. Generally speak- 

 ing, the timoth}" ration was the more expensive and the horses did not 

 maintain their weight on it as well as on the alfalfa ration. 



Tests were also made in which the feeding value of an alfalfa ration 

 without grain was studied. It was found that 20 pounds of this mate- 

 rial was suflficient to maintain the weight of a horse weighing nearly 

 1,400 pounds, provided no work was performed. When at hard work 

 some 33 pounds of alfalfa hay was barely sufficient to maintain the 

 weight. When the work was very severe 40 pounds of alfalfa hay was 

 not an adequate ration, although ifwas about the limit which could be 

 eaten. Regarding the experiments, the statement was made m effect 

 that it is doubtful if there is any economy in feeding a horse 40 pounds 

 of alfalfa per Aixj. It is certain that better results can be secured by 

 limiting the amount of hay to 20 pounds and substituting for the extra 

 20 pounds enough grain to make up the cost. This would secure at 



« Mississippi Station Bui. 15. (i Utah Station Bui. 30. 



^Oklahoma Station Rpt. 1899, p. 18. «Utah Station Bui. 77. 



cUtah Station Rpt. 1892, p. 30. 



