211 



be <iiven iu advauce of repeated experiments, the obvious difficulties in making the 

 results in one season apply to a season of a different character, or those from one past- 

 ure apply to a dittereut pasture, make the results of two years' trials only suggestive. 



The author suggests, however, the following conclusions, which, it is 

 to be remembered, are based on existing conditions in Illinois: 



The results from two years' trials indicate that a grain ration to young steers ou 

 goodi^astureisnot usually profitable; the value of the increase iu weight of the graiu- 

 fed steers over that of those having grass only will rarely repay the cost of food and 

 labor. The increased value of the animals from earlier maturity and better quality 

 may make the grain feeding profitable. Especially if the grain given be uugrouud 

 is it essential to have pigs follow the cattle if a profit is to be had. The acreage of 

 pasture may probably be safely decreased one third if the steers be given a full grain 

 ration. An acre of good grass may be expected to support a steer weighing from 800 

 to 1,000 pounds, and enable it to make a moderate gain during the summer. The ad- 

 dition of grain or other food to the pasturage before the grass fails in the autumn is 

 clearly advisable. It is doubtful if at present in most parts of Illinois, cattle can 

 be maintained or an increase of weight be secured at so low a cost in any other way 

 as by allowing them to get all their food during the best of the grazing season from 

 good pastures, fully but not overstocked. 



ExPEROiENTs IN PROGRESS (pp. 326,327). — lu addition to tbe above 

 leported tests, the bulletin contains a list of the experiments in progress 

 at the station, references being given to the reports on these experi- 

 ments already published. 



Illinois Station, Bulletin No. 10, August, 1890 (pprS). 



Investigations of milk tests, E. H. Farrington, M. S. — The 

 objects of the investigations were (1) to show the differences iu the 

 butter fat in milk from differeiit cows and the consequent variations in 

 the value of cows to their owners, some being kept at a loss, others at 

 a profit; (2) to show that the weight of the milk brought to the cream- 

 ery by a patrou "is not the most accurate basis upon which to pay for 

 the milk, since the butter fat, which alone is of value to the creamery, 

 is not always proportionate to the quantity of milk"; (3) a trial of some 

 of the simple and inexpensive methods of testing milk, and observa- 

 tions on the accuracy of determinations by these methods. 



(1) The value of coics as dependent ujyon amount and composition of 

 milk, — To show the wide difference iu the amounts of butter fat iu the 

 milk of different cows and the importance to the farmer of knowing the 

 quality of each cow's milk, determinations were made of the percent- 

 ages of fat in the milk of individual cows on three different farms. The 

 results stated in a table represtMit a record of one milking from each of 

 thirty-eight cows, which were from twenty months to fifteen years old 

 and from fourteen to four hundred and twenty-six days from calving, 

 and at the time of the test were on pasture feed. The breeds repre- 

 sented were Holstcin, Devon, Shorthorn, Jersey, Polled Angus, mostly 

 grades, and natives. The percentages of fat ranged from 2.3 to G per 

 cent, and the total fat from the milking ranged from 0.1 to 0.70 pounds, 

 13153—^^0. 5 3 



