ir,3 



FeKDING EXPEUIMENTS AVI I'll MILCH COWS, ('. A. (loESSMANN, PlI. 

 I), dip. Jli-G!>). — 'Mt was till- main aim ((four fccdiii^i cxpciiiinMits witli 

 milcli cows (luriiiji tli<' years issr)-.st> to lest tin* relative feeding value 

 of our curreut coarse fodder articles, such as Eiijilisli hay, rowen, foddia- 

 eoru, corn stover, com silage, and roots." Aeeouiits of some of these 

 experiments were uixeu iii th«' Annual Keports of the station for ISSS 

 and 1S,S!», and in iiulletins Nos. :i2, .'{4, and ."{.'> (sec; Exi)eriinent tStatiou 

 ]5ulletin No. 2, ])art i, p. 71, and Exj)erinicnt Station Kecord, vol. i. ]»i». 

 77, SI, and L'L'2, and vol. il, p. r)7L'). 



*' Duriny,- the i)ast year we have eiian^ed the object of our lecdin;;' 

 experiments with mihli cows, Havin;:;' made ourselves, as far as juac- 

 lieable, familiar with the feediuii' cHeet and ueneral eeonomieal value of 

 onr current coarse home raised fodder articles, it was decided to com- 

 jtare the feedinji' Aalue of oui' prominent concentrat<id fodder articles 

 (grains, brans, oil caUes, gluten meal, starch feed, etc.)." 



(1) Xeic-provcss iw. ohl-jjrovrss linsrcd meal (pp. 15-.'W). — This was an 

 experiment to compare the effects of like amounts of new and old-process 

 linseed meal on the quantity, quality, and cost of the milk. The 

 experiment was reported in somewhat less detail in JJulletin Xo. 38 of 

 the station (see Exjx'riuu'ut Station Eccord, vol. ii, p. 277). 



(2) Green cropa vs. English hay (pp. 30-r)4), — This experiment was 

 made with six j^rade cows in different stages of the milking- period, to 

 observe the effect of substituting green forage croi>s (vetch and oats 

 or soja beans) for a iiart of the hay, the grain remaining unchanged. It 

 lasted from July 12 to September 30, 1890. ])uring this time the grain 

 ration consisted of 3:^ ])ounds each of com meal, wheat bran, and new- 

 ])rocess linseed meal per animal daily, and the "full ration" of hay Avas 

 about 20 pounds per animal. 



About three fourths of the ha>' in the ration was substituted by a 

 niixttire of green vetch and oats in the first period (July 12-August I), 

 and by green soja beans in the second period (August 12-September 1), 

 eacli of the green foods being fed ad lihitum. In the third ]»eriod (S<'])- 

 teml>er 10-30) a full ration of rowen hay (about 2(> pounds }>er animal) 

 was given. The cutting of the vetch and oats and soja beans was c(un- 

 iiieiMM'd as they were beginning to bloom and continued until they were 

 nearly mature, though the stems were su<'culent when last fed. They 

 were cut into pieces (I to 8 inches long foi' feeding. From 50 toOO]>ounds 

 <»f vetch and oats and from 40 to 00 pounds of soja beans were consumed 

 per animal daily, "the quantity decreasing in all cases towards the 

 maturing of the crop, on account of the gradual increase of solid matter 

 in the crop." 



The results, including the analyses of the milk, are tabulated for each 

 cowseparately, t(»gi'ther with the analyses of the com meal, new ]>rocess 

 linseed meal, wheat bran, vetch and oats, and soja beans fed, with 

 reference to both food and fertilizing constituents. 



Although the individual cows dillered somewhat from each other in 



