182 EXPEEIMENT STATION RECOED. 



1912, pp. 259-266). — Records were kept of the condition and production of two 

 lots of six cows eacli, one lot housed under typical Pennsylvania barn conditions, 

 the other in an open shed from November 30, 1911, to ilarch 14, 1912. The 

 average difference between the indoor and otudoor temperatures was 12.7 dt^ 

 grees at the time of the morning milking and 7.69 degrees at the time of the 

 evening milking. 



The time required to care for the group outside and the group inside was 

 practically the same. The amount of bedding necessary to keep the animals in 

 a cleanly condition was estimated to be more for the outside gi'oup. The ani- 

 mals all remained in good health throughout the period. The appetite of the 

 outside group was always keener, and thoy were more alert than the inside group 

 and always more active when turned into the yard for water. The hair was 

 coarse, rough, and long and the hides were stiffer on the outside group. 



The water drunk by each group was measured for 15 days, the. average con- 

 sumed by the outside group per cow per day being 64.3 lbs. and for the inside 

 group 61.4 lbs., but the period was deemed too short to be conclusive. The two 

 groups were practically of the same weight at the commencement of the te.st, 

 and this weight was maintained practically constant until llie last three weeks 

 when the outside group startetl to lose weight. The average milk yield wlion 

 the temperature was above the average temperature for the week showed almost 

 no variation from the average yield when the temperature was l)elow the average 

 temperature for the week in either group. The variation did not amount to 1 lb. 

 of milk f(jr a lot of six cows in the instance showing the great«'st difference. 



The average daily milk production for the period was 16.8 lbs. per cow for the 

 outside group and 17.13 lbs. for the inside group ; the average daily fat produc- 

 tion, 0.978 and 0.917 lb. per cow; the average total solids pro<luced daily, 2.66 

 and 2.r>9 lbs. per cow; the total energ>' produced in milk per cow per day, 7.47 

 and 7.16 therms; and the daily excess of energy consumed over production, 5.8 

 and 5.49 therms, respectively. 



Food requirements of milch, cows in open shed as compared with, regular 

 stabling, 11. E. Van Nokman {I'rnnstjlrnnid Sia. h'lit. 19 IS, pp. 161-163). — Two 

 lots of re])ros('ntative gratle Cuernsey cows were fed the .same grain mixture and 

 each individual cow fed grain in proportion to her average daily milk yield of the 

 preceding week, with all the silage and hay that she would consume without 

 gaining materially in weight, lot 1 being fed outside all winter and lot 2 inside. 



The results so far secured suggest that there is less difference in the yield of 

 milk from cows stabled in the open shed as compared with those in closed barns 

 than is popularly supposed. The feed consumptii>n was practically no greater 

 in the open .shed. There was more net energy required for maintenance outside 

 than inside. There was more milk productnl inside than outside, but there was 

 more net energy produced in the form of milk outside than inside, due to the 

 difference in the composition of the milk. The.se differences are tliouglit to be 

 less than the differences which might be due to the variation in the individuality 

 of the animals. 



No relation between milk yield and the temperature conditions was noted, 

 although it is thought this would possibly not hold true for a heavy-producing 

 cow. 



Summary production of the station herd for twenty-one years, H. E. Van 

 Norman and H. P. Davis (Penmylrania Sta. h'pt. 1912. pp. 267, 26S). — A 

 summary of the production of the station dairy herd for the past 21 years is 

 given, continuing previous work (E. S. R., 21, p. 270). 



Rules relative to testing dairy cows {Maasachusctts Sta. Circ. 57 {1915), pp. 

 /{). — A revision of Circular 28, previously noted (E. S. R., 24, p. 775). 



