160 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



DAIRY FARMING— DAIRYING. 



Corn silage for milch cows, W. P. Wheeler {Xeui Yorl: State Sta. 

 Bid. 97 J n. scr.^i)p. 473-511). — The results of 10 trials iDade in ditferent 

 years, where corn silage formed part of the ration, have been averaged 

 and arranged to show changes in yield and composition of milk which 

 have followed changes in food. The tests were made " with cows in a 

 state of lactation when a fair flow of milk of normal composition would 

 be expected, aud any general change in quality or quantity of the milk, 

 besides the gradual change as the period of lactation advanced might 

 reasonably be attributed to the influence of the different foods." The 

 average amount of food consumed per cow per day, the composition of 

 the food, calculated digestible nutrients per 1,000 lbs. live weight, 

 yield and composition of milk, and cost per pound of milk and milk 

 constituents are expressed in tabular form for each test. 



The cows were fed in every case coarse fodder and a mixed grain 

 ration, the coarse fodder being fed 3 times a day aud the grain morn- 

 ing and night just before the coarse fodder. The cost of the rations is 

 based upon wheat bran at $18, corn meal at $20, ground oats at $25, 

 linseed meal at $27, gluten meal at 825, wheat middlings at $20, cotton- 

 seed meal at $30, gluten feed at $18, ground flaxseed at $60, hay at 

 $10, corn stover at $6, corn silage at $3, clover silage at $3, roots at $3, 

 and all green fodder at $2 per ton. 



Each trial consisted of two or more periods, and corn silage formed 

 part of the coarse-fodder ration in one or more of the periods. The 

 rations ajiproximated those that would generally be made from the 

 materials composing them and were not extreme in any case. Silage 

 was never fed exclusively, but was used once or twice a day with grain, 

 and hay was usually given. In several instances beets, carrots, corn 

 fodder, corn stover, or alfalfa fodder formed a part of the coarse food. 

 The author draws the following conclusions: 



"When corn silage replaced some other food or tLe amount of silage in the ration 

 was increased, there followed in 7 instances a decrease in the cost of milk (5 times, 

 the decrease was slight) ; once there was a slight increase in the cost aud in 1 

 instance little change. 



"There was an increase in the yield of milk in 6 instances (twice the increase was 

 slight) and in 3 instances a slight decrease, less than the normal, 



"When the change was from a ration containing corn silage to one containing less 

 silage or not any, there followed an increase in the cost of milk in 4 instances and 

 little change once. There was a decrease in the milk yield in 4 instances (once 

 small — less than normal) and little change in 1 instance. 



"When corn silage replaced some other food in the ration or the amount of silage 

 was increased, there followed a decrease in the cost of fat in 6 instances (once but lit- 

 tle), a sliglit increase in cost twice, and little change in 1 instance. There was an 

 increase in the amount of fat in 5 instances (3 times slight), little change in amount 

 3 times, and a small decrease once. 



"When the change was from a ration containing corn silage to one containing less 

 or not any, there followed an increase in the cost of fat in 5 instances (in 3 of them 

 the increase was small). 



