898 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



hydrate group, especially frude filler, starch, and pentosans. The average 

 coefficients of digestibility obtained with the different classes of farm animals follow: 



Average coefficients of digestibility of rorholii/drulcs. 



The authors conclude that determining the coefficients of digestibility of the c(jn- 

 stituents of the nitrogen-free group shows much more clearly the true digestibility 

 of this portion of feeding stuffs thap. the method commonly followed. 



Corn as a stock food, H. J. Waters (3/kso(f/-i Sta. Circ. of Information 11, xip. 4^, 

 figs. 4)- — The chemistry of corn and the importance of the corn crop for farm ani- 

 mals, including jioultry, are discussed. The results of several experiments carried 

 on at the station on the possibility of increasing the value of corn stover by com- 

 l)ining some such material as clover, cowpea hay, or alfalfa, and the comparative 

 value of such a mixture and timothy hay are briefly reported. It was found that 

 yearling steers, on timothy hay alone, consumed 21.7 lbs. feed per day jier 1,000 

 lbs. live weight as compared with 25.2 lbs. whole-corn stover and clover hay 1:1. The 

 gains during the feeding period, 74 days, on the 2 rations were 30.8 and 58.4 lbs., 

 respectively. Similar results were obtained when shelled corn was added to the 

 ration. Four yearling steers fed 4 lbs. of corn per day, in addition to timothy hay, 

 made an average daily gain of 0.64 lb. per head for 104 days. On a ration of corn, 

 clover hay, and corn stover an average daily gain of a similar lot was 0.88 lb. 



In a second test, under practically the same conditions, 4 steers fed 6 lbs. of corn 

 per head daily, in addition to timothy hay, made an average daily gain of 1 lb. per 

 head for 80 days, while steers fed the same amount of corn in addition to clover and 

 corn stover gained 1.35 lbs. 



During a period of 119 days 4 steers on a full feed of shelled I'orn with timothy 

 hay made an average daily gain of 1.69 lbs., as compared with 1.94 lbs. made by a 

 similar lot in the same time on a corn, clover hay, and corn stover ration. In a sim- 

 ilar test, also made with 2 lots of 4 steers each, covering 105 days, the relative 

 gains were 1.97 and 2.85 lbs. 



"Thus it appears in every case, whether fed without grain, with a small allowance 

 of grain, or on full feed, whether with yearlings or aged cattle, a combination of 

 corn stover and clover hay proved superior to timothy hay. In other words, the 

 farmer is able by this means to make the stover serve every purpose, in cattle feeding 

 at least, for which timothy is now used. Under these circumstances it is fair to say 

 that timothy and stover have at least equal feeding values. It is quite probable that 

 where such hays as clover, alfalfa, and cowpeas are not available, a small quantity of 

 cotton-seed meal, linseed meal, gluten meal, or bran may serve the same purpose 

 and accomplish the same result, viz, of enabling the feeder to use his stover to the 

 best possible advantage, and as a complete substitute for timothy. It is needless to 

 say that the accomplishment of this result would be attended by an immense increase 

 in the net returns from the corn crop." 



Two tests on the comparative merits of shredded or cut stover as compared with 

 whole-corn stover are also reported. On an average yearling steers ate 25.8 lbs. of 

 whole stover per head daily as compared with 20.6 lbs. of the shredded stover. 

 Considering the tests as a whole, there was no gain or loss on the former ration 



