424 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



from a carload purchased in Buffalo and were placed in a large sunny 

 pen. The test covered 3 months, from December, 1894, to February, 

 1895. During the first month the lambs were fed all they would eat 

 clean of a mixture of corn silage and mixed grains in the proportion of 

 1 : 1. The grain ration consisted of equal parts by weight of corn, culled 

 peas, wheat bran, and whole wheat. The silage and grains were thor- 

 oughly mixed. The lambs were fed night and morning. In addition 

 they were given at noon all the hay they would eat up clean. 



The hay and silage were weighed on several days each month, and 

 the average amount of each consumed computed from these data. Dur- 

 ing the second month the proportion of silage to grain was 70:100. 

 During the third month the ration was the same as during the second, 

 except that wheat was omitted from the mixed grains. The amount 

 and composition of each of the feeding stuffs used during the 3 months 

 are shown in tabular form. 



The average gain in live weight per sheep for each month and the 

 amounts of nutrients required to produce a gain of 1 lb, are shown in 

 the following table : 



Results of experiments in fattening sheep. 



During the first month the gains were small. In the author's opinion 

 this was due to the fact that the silage was partly made from immature 

 corn. This "soured the whole lot and made it a very inferior feed for 

 lambs. By increasing the relative proportion of grain to the silage, 

 the difidculty was overcome. The lambs immediately took on a thrifty 

 appearance, ate nearly half as much again of grain, besides taking 400 

 lbs. more of silage during the second month than they did the first." 



The article contains notes on methods practiced in handling sheep in 

 Connecticut, the number of sheep in each pen, feeding, and marketing. 



Poultry experiments, W. P. Bkooks {Maasachiiseits Hatch KSta. Rpt. 

 1895, pjj. 300-208). — Two experiments, each consisting of 2 trials, were 

 made with light Brahma and barred Plymouth Eock hens. In the first 

 experiment the value for egg production of animal and vegetable food 

 as the chief source of protein and fat was compared. Two trials were 

 made with 2 lots of hens. "Both lots had pure water, artificial grit, 

 and ground oyster shells always before them, and all other conditions 

 were made as nearly as possible alike." The 2 lots were kept in houses 



