422 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



The coeificients of digestibility found with sheep are shown in the 

 following table: 



Coefficients of digestibility of hay. 



Black grass 



Higli-grown salt hay 



Branch grass .'. 



Fox grass 



Swale hay 



Timothy hay 



Total dry 

 substance. 



Per cent. 

 59.5 

 53.0 

 56.0 

 53.0 

 39.0 

 58.0 



Crude 

 protein. 



Crude fat. 



Per cent. 

 63.0 

 63.0 

 62.5 

 57.0 

 34.0 

 48.0 



Per cent. 

 41.5 

 47.0 

 32.0 

 24.0 

 44.0 

 61.0 



Nitrogen- 

 free 

 extract. 



Per cent. 

 57 

 53 

 54 

 52 

 46 

 63 



Crude 

 cellulose. 



Per cent. 

 60.5 

 50.0 

 52.0 

 51.0 

 33.0 

 53.0 



A table is given showing the digestible nutrients in 2,000 lbs. of the 

 several hays, assuming that each contained 15 per cent of water. 

 From these tests the author draws the following general conclusions: 



"(1) Black grass, high-grown salt hay, brauch grass, and low meadow fox grass 

 are all valualde fodder articles. In the present experiment black grass contained 

 more protein and showed a higher av^erage digestibility, and is therefore snperior to 

 the other 3 hays. There is no wide diilerence, however. Timothy hay shows more 

 total digestible organic matter, bnt is noticeably inferior to 3 of the salt hays in 

 digestible protein. Black grass might be classed as bnt little inferior to average 

 timothy hay. High-grown salt hay, branch grass, and fox grass resemble each other 

 very closely in feeding value. 



" (2) Salt hays at average market prices are decidedly cheaper to feed than English 

 hay. 



"(3) Meadow or swale hay is a very inferior article. It contained 150 to 200 lbs. 

 less digestible matter than did the salt hays, and but 39 per cent of digestible dry 

 matter. 



"(4) Hays containing much less than 50 per cent of digestible dry matter should 

 be regarded as of very inferior quality." 



Greueral directions are given for feeding salt hays and meadow hays, 

 and some advice on purchasing grains on the basis of their content of 

 digestible nutrients. 



Digestion experiments -with sheep, C. S. Phelps and C. D. 

 Woods {Connecticut Storrs Sta. Bpt. 1895,, pp. 187-214). — This is a con- 

 tinuation of work given in the Annual Report of the station for 1894 

 (E. S. R., 7, p. 597). Seventeen new experiments are reported and one 

 is reprinted from the Annual Report for 1894 on account of an error. 

 Each exi^eriment lasted 12 days. Feces were collected during the last 

 5 days. Six experiments were made with 4 sheep, 6 with 2 sheep, 1 

 with 3 sheep, and 1 with G sheep. The rations fed consisted of soja 

 beans and timothy hay, crimson clover hay (field cured and barn cured), 

 barley fodder, oat and pea fodder, oat fodder, Hungarian fodder, soja 

 beau fodder, clover rowen, sweet clover fodder, cowpea fodder, rowen 

 (mostly timothy), and Canadian pea fodder. The results are briefly 

 given in the following table. 



