74 



EXPERIMENT STATION. 



[Jan. 



fed in previous experiments of a similar nature.^ The present 

 normal ration differed, however, somewhat from the former, as 

 will be seen from the following statement : — 



Present Normal Ration. 



2 pounds wheat bran, 



3 pounds ground oats, 

 11/4 pounds gluten feed, 

 1^4 pounds corn meal, 



1/2 pound cotton-seed meal. 



Earlier Normal Ration. 

 pounds wheat bran, 

 pounds gi'ound oats, 

 pound gluten meal, 

 pound cotton-seed meal. 



The digestion coefHcients evidently would he somewhat higher 

 for the present normal ration, and hence the total digestible 

 nutrients contained in the present average daily ration would 

 be rather in excess of those given. The data presented, however, 

 are at least comparative ; in fact, the exact amount of digestible 

 nutrients contained in the rations has no direct bearing on the 

 objects sought ; they simply indicate that the two herds were 

 sufficiently and normally nourished.^ 



In the second period Herd II. consumed about l/o pound 

 more digestible protein than Herd I., due to the presence of 

 the soy bean meal. In the third period Herd II. ate some .6 

 of a pound more fat (derived from soy bean oil) than did 

 Herd I. 



Table VI. — Average Weight of Each Cow at Beginning and End of 

 Each Period (Pounds). 



First period, Herd I. 



1 Sixteenth report of the Hatch Experiment Station, p. 47. 



» It was not considered of sufficient importance to make an actual digestion trial with 

 the normal ration ; neither were all the feed stuffs entering into its composition comjiletely 

 analyzed, hence average coellicients of the individual concentrates could not be employed. 



