52 



and the rations into which wheat has largely entered have had rela- 

 tively narrow nutritive ratios. In the 36 different experiments, the 

 so-called narrow nutritive ratios, (wheat rations) have varied from i 

 to 3.44 to I to 5.30 and have averaged i to 4.41 ; the so-called wide 

 ratios have varied from i to 4.15 to i to 6.69 and have averaged i 

 to 5.97. Corn is usually much lower in price in the grain markets 

 of Massachusetts than wheat. Corn, moreover, is a grain which can 

 easily be raised upon the farm. It is well suited to our soils and 

 climates. Wheat, on the other hand, does not do very well in most 

 parts of this state. The comparisons above referred to, therefore, 

 seem to be likely to prove of much interest to poultry keepers in 

 this section. 



The grains above referred to have been used in our different ex- 

 periments in a wide number of different combinations. In some of 

 our experiments the only whole grains used have been corn and 

 wheat. In the majority of the experiments, however, other grains 

 have been used, but in all cases, the ration with a wide nutritive 

 ratio has included a large proportion of corn and corn meal and the 

 rations with a narrow nutritive ratio have always included a large 

 proportion of wheat and wheat by-products such as bran and middlings. 

 In the different experiments various forms of animal food have been 

 used and in quite widely different proportions. The animal foods 

 employed have been milk albumen, beef scraps and animal meal. In 

 one set of experiments both beef scraps and milk albumen have been 

 used in the proportion of four parts of the former to three of the 

 latter. One half of the experiments have been carried out in the 

 winter, the other half in summer. 



The results have not been uniformly in favor either of the wide or 

 narrow nutritive ratio. Indeed, the number of experiments favora- 

 ble to each has been nearly equal. These results may be summar- 

 ized as follows : 



1. With animal meal as the source of animal food, 12 experi- 

 ments : eight favorable to the wide nutritive ratio in number of eggs 

 produced ; one with number of eggs equal on the two rations ; three 

 in favor of the narrow nutritive ratio. 



2. With beef scraps as a source of animal food, 7 experiments : 

 one favorable to the wide nutritive ratio ; six favorable to the narrow. 



3. With beef scraps as a source of animal food and with corn oil 

 mixed with the meals in the two rations in such quantities as to equal- 

 ize the amount of fat furnished by each, 6 experiments : five favorable 

 to the wide nutritive ratio; one to the narrow nutritive ratio. 



