12 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



nitrogenous constituents of the feed is expressed by " Nutri- 

 tive Ratio" talving nitrogenrrrl. Tliis mode of reporting 

 our observations has been adopted for the purpose of assist- 

 ing the reader in the recognition of the amount of dry 

 matter consumed daily by each cow during each period of 

 feeding ; and of rendering more conspicuous the effect of 

 each particular combination of fodder articles on the daily 

 yield of milk, as well as the general condition of the animals 

 on trial. 



The weights of the latter were ascertained once each week 

 before milking and feeding in the morning. Lady Horace 

 weighs at present 950 pounds, and Bessie 822 pounds, which 

 is approximately the same as at the beginning of the experi- 

 ments. The former yields at present from 23 to 24 pounds 

 of milk per day, and the latter from 21 to 22 pounds, with 

 a daily diet consisting of the same amount of hay, corn meal 

 and wheat bran, which constituted the daily feed during the 

 first feeding period (November 1-10). The decline of milk 

 production (independent of kind and amount of feed), in 

 consequence of the progress of the milking period (since 

 November 1 ) , amounts apparently to nine pounds per day in 

 the case of both cows. The results obtained confirm, in 

 several directions, those reported in previous bulletins (see 

 Nos. 10-11-12; also Second Annual Report, p. 36.) They 

 show the g-Qod service of wheat bran and o-luten meal as con- 

 stituents of the daily diet of milch cows, and also the favor- 

 able influence of good corn ensilage on the flow of milk, 

 comparing pound for pound of dry vegetable matter fed 

 with the yield of milk ; yet it is not less apparent that a too 

 exclusive feeding of corn ensilage affects seriously the 

 general condition of the animal. No serious alteration in 

 the composition of the milk obtained under such conditions 

 has thus far been noticed ; our samples of milk compared 

 well with the best we have tested from other feed. 



