164 



EXPERIMENT STATION. 



[Jan. 



the entire period of thirty-five days the cows did not respond 

 readily to either ration. The reason for this was due probably, 

 in part, to the fact that bran or alfalfa (feeds having a compara- 

 tively low digestibility) made uj) nearly 60 per cent, of the grain 

 ration, and partly because of the wide nutritive ratio of the 

 rations. Both rations eventually tended to produce a slow 

 accumulation of body fat rather than to stimulate the flow of 

 milk (note gains in live weight). Incidentally it may be stated 

 that the writer does not consider it economical, as a rule, to use 

 more than 25 to 40 j^er cent, of bran in rations intended for 

 milk production. The former amount may be employed when 

 the remainder of the ration is composed of rather bulky con- 

 centrates, and the latter with heavy concentrates, such as com- 

 binations of cotton-seed and corn meals. 



Average Composition of the Herd Milk. 



Character or Ration. 



Total Solids 

 (Per Cent.). 



Fat 

 (Per Cent.). 



Solids not Fat 

 (Per Cent.). 



Alfalfa meal, . 

 Wheat bran, . 



14.81 

 14.63 



5.22 

 5.29 



9.59 

 9.34 



The variations in the quality of the milk are not sufficiently 

 pronounced to warrant any particular deductions. 



Dry and Digestible Matter required to produce Milk and Milk Ingre- 

 dients (Pounds). 



It apparently required substantially equal amounts of digest- 

 ible matter to produce equal amounts of milk and milk products. 



