158 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



A field of 2^ acres of Queen of the Prairie, a inedinin-iiiaturiiig dent 

 corn, was used. Portions of this were cut at 3 different dates as follows : 

 (1) Early cat, September 1, leaves and husks green, kernels mostly in 

 milk; (2) medium mature, September 25, leaves partly dead, but most 

 husks green, kernels glazing- to dented or ([uite hard ; (3) late cut, Octo- 

 ber 7, leaves and husks mostly dry and kernels mostly hard. Twenty- 

 four shocks from an area 30 by 35 ft. were cut at each stage. 



Beginning iNTovember 9 the fodder (ears and stalks) was fed to 12 

 cows, that cut at each date being fed to a lot of 4 cows, while a fourth 

 lot received timothy hay in place of the fodder. In a prelinunary period 

 the lots were compared for 1 week, all receiving the same kind of 

 fodder. In the experiment proper all lots received 3 lbs. of wheat bran 

 and 3 lbs. of ground oats per head daily, and the corn fodder or hay was 

 fed ad libitum. The corn fodder was hauled from the field as needed. 



"The corn fodder of the early cutting fed 37 days, and, together with 444 lbs. of 

 ground oats and an equal quantity of bran, produced 100.5 ll)S. of butter fat. The 

 corn fodder of the medium-mature cutting fed 45 days, and, together with 540 1V)S. 

 of ground oats and an equal quantity of bran, produced 119.5 lbs. of butter fat. 

 Tlie corn fodder of the late cutting fed 44 days, and, togetlier with 528 lbs. of ground 

 oats and an equal quantity of bran, produced 110 lbs. of butter fat. 



"At this rate an acre of corn fodder, together with the quantities of oats and bran 

 given, would produce butter fat as follows: 



YicJd of hutlcr fat per acre of corn fodder cut at different star/es. 



"It" it is assumed, for the purpose of comparison, that an acre of corn fodder costs 

 $20, the ground oats |1 per 100 lbs., and bran 70 cts. per 100 lbs., tlien the butter fat 

 produced from the early cutting costs 19.2 cts. per lb., that from the medium-mature 

 cutting 17.3 cts., and that from the late cutting 18.7 cts. per lb. 



"During the period under consideration lot 2 lost 23 lbs. per lot of 4 animals, 

 lot 3 lost 18 lbs., while lot 4 gained 5 lbs. . . . 



"The cows fed on medium-mature corn fodder produced the largest quantity of but- 

 ter fat at the least cost; the late-cut corn fodder stood next both as to (juantity and 

 cost of butter fat, while the early-cut corn fodder gave the jioorest results." 



The lot fed medium-mature corn fodder for 45 days was compared 

 with the lot fed good quality of timothy hay instead for a like period. 

 The former ate 4,102 lbs. of corn fodder and 1,0S0 lbs. of grain (bran 

 and oats) and produced 119.5 lbs. of butter fat, while the latter ate 

 4,237 lbs. of hay and a like amount of grain and produced IIG lbs. of 

 butter fat. Pound for pound, the corn fodder produced more butter 

 fat than the hay; but the lot on hay gained 84 lbs., while the lot on corn 

 fodder lost 23 lbs., and only about four fifths of the corn fodder was 

 eaten. 



