Experiments in Fattening Sheep. 



469 



The addition of oats to the rape ration did not prove economical. 

 The value and importance of grass pasture in supplementing rape 

 for sheep feeding is strongly brought out by the larger daily and 

 total gains made by Lot III. It is shown that an acre of rape will 

 put from 300 to 400 Ibs. of gain on lambs grazed thereon. 



Returns from one acre of rape. 



At the Ontario College 1 54 acres of rape pastured 17 steers and 

 537 sheep, 1 acre lasting 12 lambs for 2 months. An acre of rape 

 was estimated to be worth $16.80. At the Michigan Station 15 acres 

 of rape pastured 128 lambs for 7.5 weeks, during which time they 

 gained 2,890 Ibs. in weight. It was estimated that 1 acre of rape 

 pastured 9 lambs 7 weeks, producing in that time 203 Ibs. of in- 

 crease. (282, 895, 899) 



761. Rape v. blue grass. Craig of the Wisconsin Station 2 grazed 

 2 lots of 48 lambs each, one lot on a blue-grass pasture and the other 

 on rape. During the grazing period of 4 weeks each lamb was fed 

 an average of 0.7 Ib. daily of a mixture of equal parts of peas and 

 corn. During this period Lot I consumed the rape on 0.64 of an 

 acre. At the close of the 4-week period both lots were placed in 

 pens, and the grain allowance was increased to 1 Ib. daily per lamb, 

 together with an unlimited allowance of hay, which amounted to 0.6 

 Ib. daily for each rape-fed and 0.7 for each grass-fed lamb. The fol- 

 lowing table summarizes the results of the trial: 



Relative value of rape and "blue-grass pasture for lambs. 



The table shows that the lambs pastured on rape did much better 

 than those pastured on blue grass, both while on pasture and also 



1 U. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers ' Bui. 49. 



2 Ept. 1897. 



