244 EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



THE DIGESTIBILITY OF CATTLE FOODS. 



BY J. B. LINDSEY AND P. H. SMITH. 



The digestion experiments herein reported were made dur- 

 ing the autumn, winter and early spring of 1906-07, 1908-09 

 and 1909-10, and form part of what are known as Series XIL, 

 Xl\". and XV. The experiments made in these series and not 

 here included have been published in previous reports. 



The usual method was employed and has been fully described 

 elsewhere.-* The full data are here presented, with the excep- 

 tion of the daily production of manure and the daily water 

 consumption, in which cases, to economize space, averages only 

 are given. The periods extended over fourteen days, the first 

 seven of which were preliminary, collection of feces being 

 made during the last seven. Ten grams of salt were given 

 each sheep daily with water ad lihitum. 



Setjies XIL 



Three lots of Southdown wethers were employed and were 

 known as Old Slieep, Young Sheep and Paige Sheep. The 

 former were. fully seven years of age, and the latter two lots 

 four to five yeaiis old. 



The hay used in connection with the several experiments 

 consisted of fine-mixed grasses, and contained a large propor- 

 tion of June grass. The diges4^ion coefficients of tliis hay as 

 applied to the experiments in tliis series were obtained in 1905, 

 and were as follows : — 



■ Eleventh repwrt of the Mass. State Agr. Exp. Sta., pp. 146-149; also the 22d report of the 

 Mass. Agr. Exp. Sta., p. 84. 



