1913.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 145 



General Care, Feeding and Weighing. ■ — The cows were kept 

 in roomy stalls, carded daily, and turned into the barnyard for 

 from four to six hours each pleasant day. The daily feed was 

 given in two portions, and water was kept continuously before 

 each animal. All the cows were in good condition at the begin- 

 ning of the trial. 



Each animal was weighed for three consecutive days at the 

 beginning and end of each half of the trial. The weighing was 

 done in the afternoon as the cows were brought in from the yard, 

 previous to feeding and watering. 



Sampling Feeds and Milk. — The hay was sampled at the 

 beginning, middle and end of each half of the trial. This was 

 accomplished by taking forkfuls here and there from the day's 

 feeding and running them through a cutter. The cut hay was 

 mixed, subsampled, and the final sample placed in a glass-stop- 

 pered bottle and brought to the laboratory at once for a dry- 

 matter test. An aliquot of each of the several samples of hay 

 was mixed and analyzed. The bran, ground oats and corn meal 

 were sampled by taking a like amount daily and placing in 

 glass-stoppered bottles. At the end of each half of the trial a 

 dry-matter determination was made, and at the end of three 

 trials an aliquot of each sample was mixed and analyzed. The 

 milk of each cow was sampled twice daily for five consecutive 

 days on the second and fourth week of each half of the trial, 

 preserved in glass-stoppered bottles with the aid of formalin 

 and tested for solids and fat. The method of sampling con- 

 sisted in mixing the freshly drawn milk with an especially con- 

 structed mixer, and immediatelv removing a definite amount 

 with a long-handled small dipper. 



Character of Feeds. — Hay, fine and early cured, largely 

 Kentucky blue grass with more or less clover and sweet vernal 

 grass. Ground oats, corn meal and bran of average quality. 



