68 EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



Feeding and Care of the Animals. 



The cows were housed in the station barn, especially set 

 apart for feeding experiments. Each animal was kept in a 

 roomy stall, well carded and turned daily into a yard for several 

 hours when the weather conditions permitted. The barn was 

 heated to a temperature of about 50° F., and particular atten- 

 tion was paid to ventilation and the admission of sunlight. The 

 feed was given in two portions daily, and water was kept con- 

 tinually before each animal by means of the Buckley self- 

 watering device. 



Weighing. 



Each cow was weighed for three consecutive days at the be- 

 ginning and end of each period, the weighing being done in 

 the afternoon, before feeding. 



Character of the Feeds. 



The hay was composed largely of Kentucky blue grass with 

 an admixture of some clover, sweet vernal and a little orchard 

 grass. It was cut when in bloom, well cured, and was con- 

 sidered a first-class hay for milk production. Washburn- 

 Crosby's spring bran was used ; the oats were bought in one lot 

 and were of extra quality; the corn meal, gluten feed and cot- 

 ton-seed meal were satisfactory both in appearance and com- 

 position. The so-called normal grain ration was composed of 

 the above feed stuffs mixed in the following proi:)ortions : 2 

 pounds bran, 3 pounds ground oats, ly^ pounds corn meal, 11/4 

 pounds gluten feed and ^ pound cotton-seed meal. It is not 

 claimed that this ration had any sui)erior advantages over 

 others; it had been found by experience, however, that such a 

 mixture could be fed with comparative safety, and would pro- 

 duce a firm butter, free from any objectionable flavor; it was 

 used, therefore, as a standard for the comparison of other feed 

 stuffs. The soy bean meal was derived from a number of varie- 

 ties, the medium green and southern yellow predominating. 

 They were shipped to the V. D, Anderson Company of Cleve- 

 land, O., and the oil extracted by pressure. The green variety, 



