ANNUAL REPORT, 1930 27--3 



Two Systems of Dairy Cattle Feeding — High Roughage and Low Grain 

 versus Low Roughage and High Grain. (J. B. Lindsey and J. G. Archi- 

 bald). This project was organized and started in the autumn of 1928 and 

 is intended to continue for at least three years. The object has been to 

 make careful observations, under controlled conditions, of the effect of 

 maximum roughage and low grain (1 i)ound to 4V2 pounds milk) fed to 

 one group of cows, and minimum roughage and high grain 1 pound to 

 2% pounds milk) fed to another group, upon the economy of milk produc- 

 tion and the condition of the cows as regards appearance, live weight, and 

 breeding. The roughage has consisted of first cut hay, rowen, silage, and 

 green forage fed in different amounts; and the grain, of a mixture of 

 wheat bran, ground oats, corn meal, gluten feed, and cottonseed meal, 

 mixed in different proportions for the two groups. 



The results for the first year ending in October, 1929, showed very little 

 difference between the two groups. At this writing, data for the year 

 ending October, 19.30, have not been completed. 



The Chemical Composition of Grass from Plots Fertilized and Grazed 

 Intensively. (J. G. Archibald). Results for 1929 have been published in 

 the Journal of Agricultural Research, Vol. 41, No. 6, for Septemljer 15, 1930. 



The fertilizer treatment decreased considerably the dry matter content 

 of the grass and the crude fiber content of the dry matter. All other con- 

 stituents of the dry matter that were determined were increased, the 

 nitrogen showing the most significant rise. Acre production or recovery 

 of all constituents was increased, nitrogen being nearly double that re- 

 covered on the check plot. The effect of withholding nitrogen from one 

 plot was very marked. 



The conclusions reached in the earlier publication (see Annual Report 

 for 1929) regarding (1) increase in nutritive value due to fertilization, 

 (2) absence of any appreciable effect of the treatment in leveling seasonal 

 fluctuations, and (3) changes in chemical composition of the grass as the 

 season advanced are substantiated and strengthened by the results of 1929. 



A careful study of all results for both seasons (1928 and 1929) and 

 correlation of these with the weather records leads to the further con- 

 clusion that of all the factors influencing the chemical composition of grass, 

 jiroducing as they do marked seasonal fluctuations, the amount of rainfall 

 is the most important. 



The study has been continued during 1930, but results are not yet 

 available. It is planned to bring this phase of pasture grass studies to a 

 conclusion with the publication of the present season's results. 



As an outgrowth of the above study and in response to a demand for 

 more fundamental information on pasture problems, a more complete pro- 

 ject entitled "Studies in the Chemistry of Pasture Grass" was organized 

 early in the year. The objective in this project is to ascertain the funda- 

 mental chemical facts which agronomists and animal husbandmen need 

 as a basis from which to start in their study of the agronomic and nutri- 

 tional phases of the problem, and vipon which to base recommendations 

 in practice. 



In connection with this work 1.54 samples of pasture grass have been 

 collected during the past season, and analytical work at date of writing 

 (December 16, 1930) is about half completed. 



