ANIMAL PRoiH'c TJoX. 



279 



■e&ted principally by sorghum hay. Iii connection with ihi- tesi l lot of I Bteers 

 was kept on alfalfa pasturage to compare this method of feeding with the data 

 jjbtained by the use of alfalfa as a Boiling crop or hay. [n 618 days there was an 

 average daily gain on the alfalfa pasturage of L.01 lbs. per head. Fromthedata 

 Included in the bulletin the general conclusion was drawn thai the combination 

 rations containing alfalfa were aboul equal in feeding value to rations of fresh and 

 cured alfalfa. 



In all cases the shrinkage when Bteers were dressed was taken into account, and 

 tin- conclusion was reached thai although the differences were small yet this factor 

 was slightly greater with the lots fed alfalfa combined with other materials than on 

 alfalfa alone. 



"Sine' alfalfa, where conditions are favorable for its production, yields the mosl 

 uhinnlant and cheapesl Eoragegrown In the Southwest, the high percentageof protein 

 may be disregarded, although theoretically a carbohydrate feed, such as sorghum or 

 tain hay. Bhould be id with it to secure the re thorough utilization of the pro- 

 phi Of the alfalfa by the animal. In situations where alfalfa can not be produced to 

 Hvantage, as with scant water supply and on excessively alkaline soils, carbohy- 



dratc rations may often be grown, especially of the sorghum class which in * bina- 



tion with alfalfa give results about equal to those from the all-alfalfa ration. 8or- 

 ghum rations alone are undoubtedly inferior to alfalfa alone and in combination with 

 alfalfa yield greater gains than when fed alone. 



"The quality of the meat from alfalfa-fed steers appears to be about. the same as 

 that from animals i^\ on the combined rations used. Animals, finished with barley 

 yielded meat of distinctly better quality, but the slight advance in price obtained did 

 Dot make return for the barley fed. 



"Assuming the approximately average and representative character of the for- 

 ages used, the yields obtained, and the animals employed, the results of these 

 pperiments indicate that under southwestern conditions, where alfalfa may be fed 

 or pastured all or nearly all the year, this forage is the most abundant and the 

 cheapest feed available, giving as good gains of as good quality as can be economic- 

 ally produced." 



Methods of steer feeding: Barn v. seed, T. I. Maths and A. K. Risseb < Penn- 

 moania Sta. Jtj>t. 1904, pp. 197-204).— Twelve steers fed in barns for its .lays made a 

 total gain of 2,760 lbs., while a similar lot fed like rations in sheds gained l\7l'4 lbs. 

 ■be test reported has been abstracted from another publication (E. S. K., 16, p. 398). 



Digestion experiments with sheep, J. B. Lindsey et ai.. {Massachusetts Sta. 

 ]{j>t. 1904, P)>- 45-77).— Continuing earlier work (E. S. R., 16, p. 395), a number of 

 SgeetioD experiments with sheep were ma. le, each covering a period of !4daysof 

 which the first 7 were regarded as preliminary. The different materials tested were 

 fed with meadow hay. the -digestibility of the special feeds being calculated in the 

 usual wav. A summary of the work follow-: 



Coefficients of digestibility of feeding stuffs in experiments with sheep 

 Kind of feed. 



Num- 

 ber of 



Boy-bean fodder 



Eureka silage corn fodder (green 

 Eureka silage corn fodder (dry) . 



Apple pomace 



English hay. young sheep 



English hay, old sheep 



Bibby's dairy cake 



Dried molasses beel pulp 



Blood meal 



Medium green soy-bean meal 

 Hominy feed and chop 



Dry 

 matter. 



Per ct. 

 63.63 

 66.63 

 63.84 

 70.60 

 62.00 

 68. 66 

 69.96 

 84.5] 



B9. 72 



Pro- 

 tein. 



/'/ /■ ct. 

 82. 96 

 67.02 

 57.04 



12. 36 

 66.61 

 64.08 

 B4.00 

 91.61 

 62. 78 



Fat. 



Per ct. 

 65. 12 

 66.93 

 62. 13 

 IS. n 

 40. !'.» 

 16.37 

 92. 1 1 



93.13 



92. 52 



Nitro- p rni l,. 



OSS? "- 



Per ct. 



77. 82 

 72. 1 1 

 63. B2 

 84.30 

 57. 88 

 64.14 

 81.16 

 91.08 



82.24 



-7. v, 



Per ct. 

 38.90 

 60.26 

 71.56 

 67.31 

 52.96 

 60.87 

 16. 15 



113.65 



Ash. 



Per ct. 

 21. Of 

 12.21 



12.81 



22. 1( 



61.62 



69. 61 

 32. Of 



