10 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



FEEDING EXPERIMENTS. 



C. A. GOESSMANN. 



Feeding Experiments with Milch Cows. 



The experiments below described were carried on for the 

 purpose of ascertaining, under otherwise fairly correspond- 

 ing circumstances, the economy of several customary combi- 

 nations of fodder articles, as far as the cost of the feed and 

 the quantity and quality of milk obtained is concerned. The 

 observations began on the 1st of November, 1884, and were 

 continued until the 18th of April, 1885, extending thus over 

 a term of nearly six months. 



Two cows, — Lady Horace (grade Ayrshire) and Bessie 

 (grade Jersey) , — both from seven to eight years old, and 

 of a corresponding milking period, served for the trial. 

 The last calf had been dropped between the 16th and 18th 

 of October, 1884. 



Hay, corn fodder, corn ensilage, corn meal, wheat bran 

 and gluten meal constituted the ingredients for the compound- 

 ing of the daily diet ; they were fed periodically, in varying 

 proportions and in different combinations, to notice their 

 comparative individual merits, if any should become con- 

 spicuous. The same weights of corn meal, gluten meal 

 and wheat bran, whenever used, were retained throughout 

 the entire experiments ; whilst the weight of the hii}^ corn 

 fodder and covn ensilage was altered in consequence of being 

 fed either alone or in some particular combination with each 

 other. The entire amount of these articles consumed under 

 both conditions was limited in every instance by the incli- 

 nation of the animal. The first feeding took place between 

 six and seven o'clock in the morning, the second at noon, 

 and the third at six o'clock in the evening. Corn meal, 

 wheat bran and gluten meal were usually fed, together with 



