18 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



between its digestible organic nitrogenous and non-nitro- 

 genous constituents than either one of the above-stated two 

 fodder rations used by us, it was decided to try fodder 

 combinations whicli, in consequence of the addition of some 

 concentrated commercial fodder article, would contain a 

 larger amount of digestible nitrogenous substances. The 

 gluten meal was selected for that purpose. The same coarse 

 fodder articles — English hay, corn ensilage, corn stover 

 and roots (carrots) — were used in most cases in different 

 quantities and combinations with equal weights of corn meal, 

 wheat bran and gluten meal. The relations between the two 

 above-stated important groups of fodder constituents varied 

 in the different diets used from 1 : 5 9 to 1 : 7.9. The closer 

 relation was obtained by feeding daily, on an average, — 



3\ lbs. of corn meal, \ 

 S\ lbs. of wheat bran, i 

 3^ lbs. of gluten meal, > Nutritive ratio, 1 : 5.9. 



10 lbs. of hay. 



) 



35 lbs. of carrots, 



and the wider ratio by feeding, on an average, — 



3^ lbs. of corn meal, '\ 



31 lbs. of wheat bran, V Nutritive ratio, 1 : 7.9. 

 25 lbs. of hay, ) 



The entire feeding experiment (I) was subdivided into 

 eight distinctly different feeding periods ; the same number 

 as on the preceding occasion, for the same length of time — 

 seven months. 



The dry corn fodder, the ensilage and the roots were cut 

 before being offered as feed. 



The yield of milk decreased, although at a different rate, 

 in the case of different animals as time advanced. The 

 shrinkage in the daily yield of milk amounted, at the end 

 of the experiment, to from 3.2 quarts to 4.9 quarts in case 

 of different cows. The gradual decline in the entire milk 

 record of every cow is only once broken, namely, during 

 the sixth feeding period, February 7 to February 21, when 

 the yield of milk shows an increase of from .7 to 1.9 quarts 

 per day, as compared with that of the preceding period. 

 This change for the better was noticed when ten pounds of 



