1082 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



standard can not be rigidly adhered to, but must be modified by the 

 feeder to suit the requirements and capabilities of different cows. 



Popular notes are given on the various feeding stuffs used. The 

 results of two-years' trials in ensiling clover " show that it is possible 

 to ensile clover, that the silage keeps well, and that stock will eat it 

 with evident relish. . . . [but] it is cheaper to allow the sun to 

 dry the hay than to draw the green forage to the barn." A half acre 

 of rape yielded at the rate of 2,G78 lbs. of dry matter per acre. " The 

 cows ate the rape silage with evident relish, and no taint was imparted 

 to the milk by it." Further experiments will be necessary to establish 

 the practicability of rape either as green fodder or as silage as a cow 

 feed. A comparison of the yields per acre and cost of growing carrots, 

 mangel-wurzels, and rutabagas is given. 



Effect of roots and potatoes on the digestibility of rations (pp. 106- 

 110). — The digestibility of a basal ration with and without mangel- 

 wurzels or potatoes was studied with 2 cows. The basal ration con- 

 sisted of 14.5 lbs. clover hay, lbs. bran, and 6 lbs. corn meal. The 

 results follow : 



Average coefficients of digestibility of rations with and without mangel-wurzels and 



potatoes. 



Basal ration with 20 lbs. mangel 

 wurzels 



Basal ration 



Basal ration with 15 lbs. pota 

 toes 



Dry mat- 

 ter. 



Per cent. 



66.19 

 64.14 



Crude 

 protein. 



60.54 

 60. 27 



56. 71 



Fat. 



71.74 

 79.12 



Nitrogen 



free 

 extract. 



Per cent. 



74.18 

 71.42 



73.33 



Crude 

 fiber. 



Per cent. 



51.36 

 48.73 



Ash. 



Per cent. 



48.17 

 43.97 



"In passing from period 1 to period 2 it is evident that the removal of the heets 

 from the ration decreased the digestibility of the dry matter, ash, crude fiber, and 

 nitrogen-free extract, while the digestibility of the protein remained constant. The 

 addition of potatoes to the ration still further decreased the digestibility of the dry 

 matter of the crude fiber and markedly lowered the digestibility of the protein. 

 This result is undoubtedly due to the fact that potatoes are nearly clear starch, and 

 the addition of so much starch to a normal ration lowers the digestibility of the 

 protein, the fat, and the crude fiber." 



Effect of potatoes and roots on the quality of the butter (pp. 110-116). — 

 This was studied with 5 cows in periods of about 3 weeks, the results 

 being compared with those on dry feed. The average time required for 

 churning was 34 minutes when on dry feed, 30 minutes when on man- 

 gel-wurzels, and 80 minutes when on potatoes. 



"On this point there was a very marked difference due to the feeding of potatoes. 

 The cream fro bed badly in the churn and it took more than twice as long to bring 

 the butter. . . . No important difference is noted in the composition of tho 

 butter that could be ascribed to the potatoes. In one case the butter was much 

 harder whern the cows had the potatoes, in another it was as soft as when the cows 

 were on dry feed. The per cent of volatile fatty acids, the ingredients that give 

 butter its characteristic flavor, was slightly higher on the average in the potato 

 butter than in the butter from dry feed." 



