574 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



JO. PI). 'lOl, .'{02). — Brief statements are made regardinc: the use of local feediug 

 stuffs for poultry. Bran with boiled green ])ananas or ripe bauanas and some 

 green corn are among some of the mixtures suggested as suitable for use in 

 morning rations. 



Regulating- the egg trade, K. Borchmann (Ztschr. Flcisch u. Milclihiiy.. 

 n [1006). \o. 1. PI). 3-11). — The defects iu the present system of marketing 

 eggs in Berlin ari> pointed out and reforms suggested. 



DAIRY FARMING— DAIRYING - AGROTECHNY. 



A comparison of alfalfa meal and wheat bran for dairy cows, T. I. Mairs 

 {Peniisiilnuiia St<i. ISiiL 80, [ip. 10). — Alfalfa meal or finely ground alfalfa hay 

 was compared with wheat bran, pound for pound. The test was made with 10 

 cows divided into two equal lots. The feeding covered 4 periods of 3 weeks 

 each. The wheat bran was fed to both lots during the first and fourth periods, 

 to lot 2 during the second period, and to lot 1 during the third period. The 

 alfalfa meal was fed to lot 1 during the second period and to lot 2 during the 

 third period. All other conditions were uniform for both lots. 



The protein content of the alfalfa meal was 15.48 per cent and of the wheat 

 bran 1G.95 per cent. The" alfalfa meal was eaten less readily than the wheat 

 bran and produced a deci-ease in the yield of milk. With alfalfa meal at .$23 

 per ton and wheat bran at .$20 per ton, the prices prevailing in central Penn- 

 sylvania, the cost of grain for 100 lbs. of milk when the cows were fed alfalfa 

 meal was 47.1 cts. and when fed wheat bran 4.'').3 cts. \Yith wheat bran at .S20 

 per ton the alfalfa meal was apparently worth only .$21.28 per ton. 

 . At present market price, the author, therefon-, docs not recommend alfalfa 

 meal as a substitute for wheat bran as a feed for dairy cows. 



Investigations on the effect of nutritive and condimental substances upon 

 milk secretion, F. Mekkel (Ijiuikj. Diss., Lcipsic, lUOG ; h/av. in Milchic. Zentbl.. 

 i (lOOO). Xu. 11. pp. .'i9.5-500). — In experiments with l.j cows the feeding of an 

 excessively rich ration immediately after calving not only failed to increase 

 milk production but tended to lessen it. The live weight of the animal, how- 

 ever, was favorably affected. When the same ration was fed later during the 

 lactation period milk secretion was increased. 



Fennel as a condimental or stimulating substance exerted a favorable influ- 

 ence on milk secretion only when given with heavy rations. Under such con- 

 ditions, however, there was a decrease in the live weight of the animal. 



Comparative experiments on the feeding value of sugar and proteids for 

 the production of milk and milk fat, E. A. Bogdanov {Izl\ Moscov. Sclsk. 

 Khoz. Inst. {Ann. lust. Agrun. Mu.^cou), 12 (1906), No. 3, pp. 257-307).— This 

 work is a direct continuation of that previously noted (E. S. R., 17, p. 71). 

 Four experiments were conducted each including 4 cows and continuing for 3 

 or 4 periods of 10 days each. The general conclusion drawn is that the feeding 

 of sugar is without particular value. In individual instances, however, sugar 

 increased milk production. It was only in the case of rich rations with a nar- 

 row' nutritive ratio that the feeding of sugar was economical and vt was thought 

 that here the same results might have been secured with a much cheaper 

 material. 



Seasonal variations in the composition of cows' milk, H. C. Sherman 

 (Jou): Aiiier. Chciii. /S'oc, 2S {IDOC). Ao. 12. pp. 1119-1123). — Average monthly 

 analyses are given of the milk of a herd of about 000 cows in Westchester 

 County, New York. Five years" results are summarized and compared with 

 similar data reported liy II. D. Iticbmond. The cows were either registered or 



