504 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



"(9) Tlu' rations iVd to tlie In'st producers in the herd (hiring the winter periods 

 contained, on the avi'rage, 25.28 lbs. of dry matter, 2.05 llw. of digestiljle protein, 

 15.22 lbs. of digestible carbohydrates and fat, and had a luitritive ratio of 1 : 7.4. 

 The low-producing cows received, on the average, 21.14 lbs. of dry matter, 1.56 lbs. 

 of digestible protein, and 12.20 lbs of carbohydrates and fat (nutritive ratio, 1 : 7.8), 

 while intermediate figures were obtained for the cows with a medium production. 



" (10) Only 10 cows out of a total of 33 required more than 2 lbs. of digestible 

 protein in their average daily winter rations under our system of feeding for a large 

 and iH'onomical i)roduction. The erase of the cow Ella, weighing about 1,000 lbs., is 

 especially woi'thy of note, from the fact that she received only 1.48 lbs. of digestible 

 protein per day in her winter ration, and 12.19 lbs. of digestible carbohydrates and 

 fat (initritive ratio, 1:8.2), and produced 343 lbs. of butter fat yearly, as the average 

 for 4 years. According to our present knowledge, we believe that only cows of 

 large capacity will give ec;ononiical returns for a supply of more than 2 lbs. of digest- 

 ible protein per day, under the conditions present in the Northwest; and in the 

 majority of cases with good average dairy cows, a supply somewhat less than this 

 may be found most economical." 



Soiling crops for dairy co-ws in Wisconsin, W. L. Carlyle, J. R. Danks, and 

 G. E. Morton {Wixruiimi Sta. Bui. JO:], pp. 14, fiya. S). — A comparison is made of 

 the average monthly yield of milk for 4 years of 15 farmers' herds and the average 

 monthly yield for the past 2 years of the university herd, which was fed in part on 

 soiling crops. In the case of the farmers' herds a rapid falling off from the highest 

 yield in June to almost the lowest yield for the year in August is shown. The milk 

 production of the university herd reached its maximum in April, remained almost 

 constant until June, after which it decreased gradually and reached its lowest point 

 in October. 



The results of culture tests with various soiling crops at the university farm from 

 1900 to 1903 are presented in the following table: 



Average data ohtained in culture tests with soiliny crops. 



Variety of crops. 



Fall rye 



Hulless barley 



Alfalfa 



Red clover 



Peas and oats 



Oats 



Vetches and oats. . 



Dent corn 



Rape 



Sweet corn 



Sorghum 



Giant fodder corn. 



Millet 



Rye and vetches . . 

 Flint corn 



Num- 

 ber of 

 crops 

 aver- 



Seed 

 per 

 acre. 



Lbs. 



140 



120 

 20 

 15 



150 

 88 



148 



2.5 

 35 

 54 

 35 



140 

 35 



Dates of sowing 



Period 



of 

 growth, 



Sept. 10. 

 Apr. 2 . . 



Apr. 11-May 4 . . 

 Apr. 14-May 4 . . 



Apr. 20 



May 10 



May 2-Julv 11 . . 

 May 16-May 20 . 

 May 20-June9.. 



May 19 



June 15 



May 10 



Days. 



248 



04 



72 



70 

 75 

 71 

 85 

 67 

 102 



Average yield 

 per acre. 



Forage. 



Tons. 

 8.41 

 10.08 

 16.5 

 10.0 

 9.08 

 9.38 

 0.95 

 12.20 

 20.83 

 24. 39 

 29. 83 

 23.30 

 12.19 

 10.0 

 15.52 



Dry 

 matter. 



Tons. 

 2.0 

 2.2 

 4.7 

 2.9 

 3.4 

 3.0 



2.0 

 4.2 

 5.1 

 0.1 

 4.8 

 3.0 



Digestible nutri- 

 ents in 100 lbs. 

 gross yield. 



Protein. 



2.1 



i.y 



3.9 

 2.9 

 1.8 

 2.6 



1.0 

 1.5 

 1.5 

 .0 

 1.0 

 2.0 



1.0 



Carbo- 

 hydrates. 



Lbs. 



14.2 

 10.3 

 12.8 

 15.0 

 7.2 

 21.4 



12.6 

 8.6 

 13.7 

 13.2 

 12.6 

 17.0 



12.6 



The discussion of the subject considers variety, culture, yield, value, feeding stage, 

 and cost of production of the crops, and a succession of the same that would supply 

 succulent feed at all times. Nearly all of the crops grown are most palatable and 

 satisfactory when fed at or a little before full bloom. Thick seeding in general gave 

 a much greater yield and a better quality of forage than thin seeding. In 1901, sow- 

 ing 25 lbs. sorghum seed per acre with alternate spouts of the drill open, and 25 and 

 50 lbs. with all the spouts open yielded, after a period of 82 days, 17,552, 21,200, and 



