270 



ter. Two steers from each breed, fed and grown to maturity and fat- 

 tened, would show much as to the relative values of the dairy breeds 

 for beef." 7'he questions to be studied should inc.-lude the yearl}'' 

 growth of the animals under like conditions and feeding-, and the 

 amount of food consumed in proportion to live weight for the several 

 breeds; breed characteristics for production of milk and butter and for 

 beef; the relative profitableness of small and large cows; "whether 

 two foods of similar composition will atfect equally the milk and butter 

 yield, or whether one will tend more to the j^rodu.ction of l>ody fat and 

 less to an increase of milk; "' and " the influence of A'arious grains fed 

 sejDarately and combined in rations, and to what extent the chemical 

 and physical properties of butter are influenced by diil'erent foods." 



This plan met with cordial approval from indiA'idiial and associated 

 breeders. " The legislature also, recognizing the practical value of 

 the proposed investigation, made liberal appropriation for a barn 

 suitable for the purpose of the experiment, and ample and convenient 

 arrangements have been made for twenty-four animals, besides four 

 box stalls and five stalls for bulls." A list of the animals already 

 obtained by the Station includes six Holstein-Friesians. five Ayrshires, 

 four American Holdernesses, four Guernsey's, and four Jerseys. '" It 

 is proposed to increase the herd gradually and broaden the work, 

 until the accumidated data shall be such as to carry conviction to 

 everyone who shall carefully consider the results obtained." 



This bulletin contains the six months' record of a feeding experi- 

 ment begun April 1, 1889, with thirteen heifers, including four Hol- 

 stein-Friesians, four Ayrshires, two American Holdernesses, two 

 Guernseys, and one Jersey. The feeding stuffs used were hay of 

 mixed grasses and clover; sugar-beets; green forage, including alfalfa 

 (much relished), lye (not relished), maize, oats, peas, and Hungarian 

 grass (on which the animals did not seem to do well) ; wheat bran;" 

 linseed meal (old process) ; crushed oats; wlieat middlings; corn meal. 

 Tables filling about thirty pages give for each animal the age in days 

 April 1, 1889; date of receipt of animal at Station; the average weight 

 for the last five mornings of each month ; the total amount of Avater 

 and of each kind of feed consiuned per month, and the daily aA^eragc 

 during each month, together with the corresponding amounts of the 

 chemical constituents of the food ; and for each breed for each month 

 the amount of Avater drunk, the amount of each chemical constitu- 

 ent in the feed consumed, the live Aveight. average monthly gain, dry 

 matter consumed for each pound of increase, and the dry matter eaten 

 per 1,000 pounds of liA^e AA^eight. An interesting observation regard- 

 ing the pounds of dr}'' matter required for one ])ound of gain is 

 brought out in one of the tables and stated as f oIIoavs : " In June more 

 dry matter Avas required than in May. and the largest amount in July, 

 averaging more than three times as much for the month of July as 

 for May; or as 4.1 to 14.1. In August less dry matter was required 

 for one potmd of gain than in July, while the month of September 



