DAIRY FARMING DAIRYING. 



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low a cost as a good quality of hay, they believe it to require more 

 energy for digestion than hay, and that when fed for any length of time 

 it would have a tendency to induce digestive disturbances. It is not 

 recommended for Massachusetts farmers in place of hay unless it can be 

 bought cheaper than hay, in which case it is suggested that one half of 

 the hay may be replaced by the feed. 



A study of rations fed to milch cows in Connecticut, W. O. 

 At water and C. S. Phelps (Connecticut Storrs Sta. Bpt. 1897, pp. 

 17-66). — This is a continuation of the study of rations fed by practical 

 dairymen in the State (E. S. R., 9, p. 786), being a report for the fifth 

 winter's work. The rations of 4 herds were studied, the period of 

 observation lasting 12 days, and then after an interval of about 2 weeks, 

 in which the suggested rations were introduced, the study was repeated. 

 "The main idea was to change the feeding in such a manner as would 

 not only give a ration with a narrow nutritive ratio, but to vary this 

 for the different animals of the herd in accordance with their milk pro- 

 duction." The details of the study are tabulated, and the results are 

 discussed at considerable length. The results for the 4 herds are briefly 

 summarized in the following table, the first test showing the rations 

 which were being fed by the dairymen, and the second test those sug- 

 gested by the station : 



Original and suggested rations fed to dairy coirs. 



" [With herd J] the average daily cost of the ration was reduced from 16.3 cts. 

 to 14.6 cts. The average daily yield of milk was less hy 0.5 lh. in the second test 

 than in the first, hut the daily yield of butter was larger hy 0.05 lh. The total cost 

 of food to produce 100 lbs. of milk was reduced 7 cts., and the cost of feed for 1 lb. 

 of butter was reduced 3 cts. in the second test. . . . 



" [With herd K] the total cost of the first ration was 15.6 cts., and of the second 

 ration 14.9 cts. per cow per day. The second grain ration cost 0.4 ct. per day more 

 than the first, while the coarse fodders cost about 1 ct. less in the case of the sec- 

 ond ration. The average milk yield was essentially the same in each of the tests, 

 while the yield of butter fat was 0.07 lb. more per day in the case of the second 

 ration. . . . 



"The second ration [of herd L] was an exceptionally heavy one in piotein, [and] 

 the herd had larger tjuantities of protein than are there recommended for cows with 



