1897.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — Xo. 3;J. 101 



In Experiment II., on the narrow ration, the best cow 

 produced 12.81 pounds of butter per weelv, at a cost 

 for feed consumed of 11. GG cents; and tlie poorest 

 cow 7.98 pounds, at a cost of 15.90 cents per pound. 

 With the wi(hi ration, tlie l)est cow produced 10.92 

 pounds per week, costing 12.71 cents ; and the poorest 

 cow 6.8G pounds, costing 1G.21 cents per pound. 

 VII. In these two experiments narrow rations produced manure 

 having 20 per cent, more fertilizing value than that 

 px'oduced by wide rations. In general, it can be said 

 that narrow rations produce manure containing 10 to 

 If) per cent, more fertility than wide rations. 

 VIII. Neither the narrow nor wide ration produced any decided 

 change in the composition of the milk. 

 IX. For total consumption of dry and digestible matter ; total 

 yields of milk, milk solids and fat ; pounds of milk, 

 milk solids and fat produced by 100 pounds of dry 

 and digestible matter ; and for digestible matter re- 

 quired to produce 100 pounds of milk, 1 pound of milk 

 solids and 1 pound of butter, — see tables XII., XIII. 

 and XIV., in rear of this report. 



A. Methods employed in carrying out the 

 Experiments. 



Plan. 



The experiments were two in number, and were conducted 

 during the autumn and winter of 1895-96, with six cows. 

 The animals were divided as evenly as possible into two 

 lots, and the experiments were so arranged that in the first 

 half of each experiment three of the cows were fed the 

 narrow rations while the other three were receiving the wide 

 rations ; in the second half of the experiment the order was 

 reversed. In this way the natural milk shrinkage as well as 

 the natural change in the quality of the milk was equalized. 

 In the first experiment the two halves each lasted twenty-six 

 days, and at least seven days were allowed after the animals 

 were placed upon the full ration before the actual test began. 

 In Experiment II. the halves each lasted twenty-one days. 



