2"^^ MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



It gave 6l pounds less milk and 5 pounds less butter fat per cow than in 

 the first year's test. Ail the herds except '"Ji " in the second year's test, 

 showed an increased yield of milk and butter fat over the first year. 



The average percentage of increase in the second year, per cow, 

 was 13.7 per cent of milk and 13.9 per cent of butter fat. 



In other words, the average increase per cow was : (^"j pounds of 

 milk, 28 pounds of butter fat, and 32 pounds of butter. 



The increase seems to be due to the following : 



(i) The cows on the whole received better care. 



(2j The herds were fed better rations. 



(3) From nearly all the herds a few poor cows were sold. 



(4) In some cases cows were purchased that proved to be good 

 dairy animals. 



I shall give a report of herds "A" and "F." It should be observed 

 that great improvement was made in each of these dairies. 



REPORT OF HERD "A" 



At the end of the first year's test the owner of this herd disposed of 

 a few of the poorest cows, but the herd still contained many poor dairy 

 animals. The herd was composed of natives, grade Holsteins, and grade 

 Shorthorns, which were by no means of the dairy type. The cows were 

 in better condition during the second year than they were in the first 

 year's test. 



In the second year the herd received a better ration, the rough fod- 

 der was about the same, but the meal portion of the ration consisted of 

 shorts and Peoria gluten, instead of corn meal and ground rye which 

 were the chief concentrates during the first year. The kind of con- 

 centrates and roughage fed during the two years was as follows : 



First year: Second year: 



Corn meal. Shorts. 



Ground rye. Peoria gluten. 



Ground oats. Corn stover. 



Crushed corn and cob meal. Corn silage. 



Corn silage. Timothy hay. 

 Timothy hay. 



It will be seen as was reported in bulletin 85. that this herd received 

 rather poor rations during the first year, which were about as follows: 



Tlie fresh cows received a small allowance of bran and corn meal, to- 

 gether with timothy hay and silage, from October t, iqot, to Januarv i, 



