114 HATCH EXPERIAIEXT STATION. [Jan. 



corn meal or corn and cob meal, .served as the two grain 

 rations ; bran acted as a diluter of the heavy concentrates in 

 one case, and corn silage in the other. 



2. In the first experiment the results were slightly favor- 

 able to the bran ration, while in the second experiment the 

 conditions were reversed. The dift'erences were so trifling 

 that it may be said that for })ractical purposes both rations 

 produced e(j[ually satisfactory results. 



3. As a practical deduction, the ^vriter would suggest that 

 farmers who keep comparativel}^ small herds, and who per- 

 sonally look after the feeding, may reduce the quantity of 

 purchased grain to 3 or 4 pounds daily per head, and sub- 

 stitute home-grown corn in place of wheat bran. Five to 7 

 pounds of grain daily is the usual allowance for cows pro- 

 ducing about 10 (juarts of milk of average quality. This 

 grain mixture may consist of Xy^ i)ounds of cotton-seed 

 meal, 2 pounds of flour middlings and 2% to 3 pounds of 

 corn or corn and cob meal daily ; or 11-^ pounds of cotton- 

 seed meal, 2 pounds of oat middlings or rye feed and 2l/^> to 

 3 pounds of corn meal. Malt sprouts may be suljstituted for 

 the wheat, oat or rye middlings. The several grains after 

 being mixed should be distributed throuoh the silao-e or cut 

 hay with the aid of a fork. This method of feeding will 

 enable the farmer to get along with a minimum casli outlaij 

 for grain (4^-2 cents dail}^), and at the same time he will be 

 sui)plying a Avell-balanced ration, rich in elements of fertil- 

 ity. The method will be more ])articularly suited to farmers 

 not having easy transportation facilities, and who sell their 

 dairy })roducts to the creamery. 



4. Farmers and dair3'men who cannot closely supervise 

 the feeding, and who desire to feed more than 5 to 7 pounds 

 of grain daily, will probably find it advisable to use one- 

 third to one-half wheat bran in conqjounding the grain mix- 

 ture. Distillers' grains and malt s})routs have also been 

 shown to be quite satisfactory distributers of the heavy con- 

 centrates.' 



* Bulletin No. 94 of tliis station. 



