148 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



(A.) A herd of the choicest dairy cows, numbering over 

 one hundred, received for eight months nothing but grass, 

 ensilage (of diiferent plants) and grain ; al)solutely no dry 

 forage. The health and general condition of the herd was 

 of the best, strong calves were produced, and the milk 

 yield, although not remarkable in quality, produced butter 

 which under the market test won the very highest repu- 

 tation. But after a few additional months of similar feed- 

 ing, this herd showed unmistakable signs of having been 

 under too high pressure. Cows broke down, the best 

 young animals looked two or three years older than they 

 were, abortion appeared, and the herd actually went to 

 pieces and 1)ecame unprofitable for dairy and breeding pur- 

 poses. 



(B. ) An evenly matched pair of beef cattle, steers, 5 

 years old, were fed on dry food only, fattening rations, 70 

 days. No. 1 weighed 1,270 pounds at start, 1,390 at close ; 

 gain, 120 pounds. No. 2, 1,220 pounds, and 1,320 pounds; 

 gain, 100 pounds. For next 35 days, 50 pounds corn ensi- 

 lage was substituted for the coarse dry forage, in ration for 

 No. 2, that for No. 1 remaining unchanged ; the grain the 

 / same as before in both cases. Result: No. 1 gained 10 

 pounds, and No. 2 gained 92 pounds. For the next 35 

 days the rations of the two were reversed, and No. 1 gained 

 75 pounds, while No. 2 lost 20 pounds. 



(C.) A five-year-old common cow weighed 847 pounds, 

 which had with the last calf given 10 quarts of milk per 

 day, wdien at her best ; was fed hay alone from time of dry- 

 ing until she calved, and then corn ensilage alone for 65 

 days; average consumption, 64 pounds per day; milk yiekl 

 averaged 13 pounds 8 ounces. For the next 30 days a 

 ration of grain was added, consisting of 2 pounds corn meal, 

 1 pound cotton-seed meal and 2 pounds wheat bran ; ave- 

 rage milk product, 17 pounds 3 ounces per day (a daily 

 gain of two quarts of milk, at an added cost of seven cents). 

 For the next 30 days the same grain was continued and dry 

 forage substituted for the ensilage, 12 pounds corn stover 

 and 5 pounds hay, cut; average milk product, 18 pounds 

 per day; last day, 18 pounds 4 ounces. (The dry fodder 

 cost about nine cents and the ensilage seven cents.) While 



