1900.] 



PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 33. 



51 



the warmer months separately, one being denominated the 

 winter experiment, the other the summer experiment. These 

 experiments have for their object testing the correctness of 

 the generally accepted view that the laying fowl should 

 receive feeds very rich in nitrogenous constituents (i.e., 

 should have rations with a narrow nutritive ratio) . During 

 the tests of the past year corn has been much more largely 

 used than in 1898. Then it replaced about one-half of the 

 oats and wheat usually fed at night ; this year the fowls on 

 the wide ration received at tiight only corn. The fowls on 

 both rations have received cut clover and animal meal in 

 equal proportions. 



The health of the fowls on both rations has been uniformly 

 good through both the winter and summer experiments. As 

 last year, however, it is found to require the exercise of 

 more care to avoid overfeeding and loss of appetite among 

 the corn-fed hens. 



Winter Experiment. 

 This experiment, as has been earlier stated, began October 

 25. This was much too early to make possible the showing 

 of a good record for total eggs, since the pullets did not 

 begin to lay to any extent until January. The facts that 

 they had been at large until the experiment began, after 

 which they were closely confined, and that, as will be re- 

 membered, November and December were very cold and 

 stormy, perhaps in large measure account for this. All 

 details necessary to a full understanding of the experiments 

 and the results, it is believed, will be found in the tables : — 



Foods consumed, Narroio v. Wide Ration, October 23 to April 27. 



