48 



MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 262 



Table 3 — Weights of Animals. 



The milch cows more than maintained their weight, the entire herd making 

 a net gain of 3904 in 1928 and 2040 in 1929. During the season of 1929 the 

 milking herd received in addition to pasture an average of 6.5 pounds of 

 grain, 14.5 pounds of silage, 1.4 pounds of beet pulp and l.OS pounds of hay 

 per cow per day. An average of 25.6 pounds of milk per cow per day was 

 produced. From May 23 to August 2 the cows received no roughage of any 

 kind in the barn and were fed a 14 per cent ration at the average rate of 1 

 pound of grain to 41/2 pounds of milk for all breeds. The young stock group, 

 which was on pasture continuously, received no supplementary feed and aver- 

 aged a daily gain of 0.827 pounds which was slightly less than in 1928. The 

 sheep did especially well in the experiment as the constant rotation lessened 

 the infection from parasites as well as providing abundant feed. Both ewes 

 and lambs averaged a daily gain of 0.3 pound per head while on pasture; the 

 lambs being on the experimental plots from May 14 to September 6 and mak- 

 ing an average gain of 34 pounds per animal. 



Analysis of GraSiS^ 



Throughout the pasture season grass samples were taken from the various 

 plots and analyzed for nitrogen content by the chemistry department. The 

 samples were carefully collected by clipping the grass from six representative 

 areas on each plot the day before the high producing group was turned onto 

 the plot. The six areas, each 2 feet square, were located at certain "stag- 

 gered" intervals over the plot and the locations were marked on the divison 

 fences. The samples from all plots receiving the complete fertilizer averaged 

 17.5 per cent protein (calculated) in the dry matter for the two seasons. All 

 samples from the check plot averaged 12.3 per cent protein (calculated), 

 while in 1929 the samples from Plot VI which received only phosphoric acid 

 and potash averaged 15.6 per cent. 



The Two Seasons Compared 



Increased production and decreased supplementary feed characterized the 

 second year of the pasture experiment. While the average production per cow 

 per day was approximately the same for the two seasons, being 25.1 in 1928 

 and 25.6 in 1929, and the average number of animals in the milking groups was 

 44.4 in 1928 and 43.5 in 1929 or about one cow less for the season, the fact 

 that the pasture season was six days longer in 1929 resulted in a total of 114 

 more milch cow days the second season. If this figure is converted to milk 

 produced by multiplying it by the average production per cow per day (us- 



' The authors gratefully acknowledge the services of Professor J. G. Archibald of 

 the Chemistry Department who made the nitrogen and moisture determinations. 



