DAIRYING DAIRY FARMING. 



883 



Feeding trials with silage and potatoes, J. L. Hills ( Vermont 

 Sta. Bpt. 1896->97, pp. 169-174, 218-220).— A comparison was made 

 with 2 cows of corn silage and a silage made from a mixture of cowpea 

 vines and soy beans. At the time of ensiling the mixed silage con- 

 tained about 23 per cent of crude protein in dry matter, while the corn 

 silage contained about 11 per cent. 



"The mixed silage lost very heavily of its protein in the silo, however, and came 

 out hardly richer in that ingredient than was its competitor. The reasons for 

 this loss are not clear. The corn silage in another portion of the same silo kept 

 nicely. . . . 



"Less but better milk and essentially equal yields of solids and fa I were made 

 from somewhat more total dry matter on the soy bean-cowpea silage than when 

 corn silage was fed. One hundred pounds of dry matter in corn silage proved supe- 

 rior to the same amount in the mixed siiage. The mixed silage analyzed but little 

 better than the corn silage, cost more to grow and harvest, yielded less, and was 

 distasteful to some cows. The marked increase in the quality of the milk following 

 the feeding of the mixed silage, while suggestive, is not thought to be due as much 

 to change of feed as to a coincident shrinkage in the milk How." 



Corn silage and potatoes were compared in an experiment with 6 

 cows, covering three 1-week periods. 



"The cows ate more freely of the potatoes than of the silage and while on the 

 potato ration consumed more dry matter, yet in 5 out of 6 cases they made no more 

 milk and in one case but little more. The milk did not change in quality ami essen- 

 tially equal quantities of total solids and fat were produced on each ration. Since 

 increased production did not follow the more hearty eating, a pound of dry matter 

 in the form of potatoes was less effective than a similar amount of dry matter in the 

 form of silage. Potatoes at 15 cts. a bushel are more costly as stock food than 

 silage." 



Record of the station herd for 1895-96, J. L. Hills ( Vermont 

 Sta. Bpt. 1896-107, pp. 181-188).— -The record is given for 37 cows from 

 November 1, 1895, to October 31, 189C: 



"As a herd the average cost of food for 100 lbs. of herd milk was 77.3 cts. and for 

 a pound of butter, 13 cts. . . . Twenty-eight of the individual cows whose records 

 appear in the preceding table, together with 2 others, formed the herd of which the 

 record was published in our last report. Comparing the records of the 2 years wo 

 find that 12 cows gave more, 2 the same, and 14 less milk the second year than they 

 did the first; that 12 gave more, 2 the same, and 14 less butter in 1895-'9l> than in 

 1894-'95; while 11 gave better, 10 poorer, and 7 the same quality of milk in the 

 latter as compared with the former yerr. The average for the 28 cows shows almost 

 exactly the same production each year, but at greatly reduced cost during the latter 

 year.'' 



Average record of twenty-eight cows for two years. 



