1898.] 



PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 33. 



97 



//. Digestible Matter (^Pounds). 



100 



Pounds 



Milk. 



Pound 



Milk 



Solids. 



Pound 

 Butter Fat. 



Pound 

 Butler. 



Cotton-aeed period, 

 Hay period, 



67.65 

 67.69 



4.81 

 4.85 



13.65 

 14.25 



11.72 

 12.22 



General Conclusions. 



Cotton-seed feed, from its appearance, is certainly not an 

 attractive looking article for consumption. The cotton-seed 

 hulls, comprising the bulk of the feed, consists of the dark 

 seed coats, together with an entangling mass of fibre. They 

 are difficult to masticate, and quite indigestil)le. The cot- 

 ton-seed meal with which the hulls are mixed imparts its 

 flavor to the material, and actually increases the digestibility 

 of the hulls. In our experiments we have had no trouble in 

 inducing animals to eat 12 to 15 pounds daily within three 

 or four days. The two experiments have shown cotton-seed 

 feed to give as large milk and butter yields, at as low a cost, 

 as a good quality of hay. The writer is of the opinion, 

 however, that this feed requires more energy for its diges- 

 tion than hay, and, when fed for any length of time, would 

 have a tendency to induce digestive disturbances. A mix- 

 ture of hulls and meal could probably be turned to better 

 account for fattening steers than as a continuous feed for 

 dairy cows. Massachusetts farmers could derive no benefit 

 from feeding this material in place of hay. For those who 

 are obliged to purchase all of their coarse feeds, it might be 

 desirable to use one-half of this material in place of hay, 

 provided it could be purchased for somewhat less money. 

 Cotton-seed feed should be consumed where it is produced. 

 For the farmers of the south it is undoubtedly a cheap source 

 of coarse feed, and, when fed in moderate quantities, will 

 unquestionably return good results. 



