3 



207. NOTES ON FEEDING EXPERIMENTS WITH 

 CORN ENSILAGE. 



The experiments were chiefly carried on for the purpose of testing 

 the feeding value of corn ensilage, as compared with that of hay. 

 A description of the general character of the ensilage as well as of 

 the hay and corn meal used in this connection, will be found upon a 

 few subsequent pages within this Bulletin. Three cows — crosses be- 

 tween native stock and Ayrshires — of a corresponding milking 

 period — were selected from the herd of the Mass. Agricultural Col- 

 lege, to serve for the trial. The previous mode of feeding, the 

 amount of each article of fodder actually consumed per day, and the 

 daily yield of milk were carefully noted during the week preceding 

 the removal of the animals to the stalls of the Station (April 7 — 14). 

 Each cow had received for some time previous to that date, four 

 quarts of clear corn meal per day, together with all the hay they 

 could consume. This mode of feeding was continued at the station 

 from April 14 to 29, by careful application of the scale in all meas- 

 urements, to secure reliable values for comparison. 



HISTORY OF COWS. 



I. Name, Clara. Age, 5 years. Weight, 895 lbs. No. of 

 calves, 3. Last calf, Feb. 25, 1884. Feed, 4 quarts of clear corn 

 meal (6| lbs.), and 15| lbs. of hay. Average yield of milk per day 

 (April 14 until 30th), 15^ lbs. 



Composition of Milk. April 8. 



Water at 100° C, 88.04 



Total solids, 11.96 



Fat (in solids), 3.27 



Mean of three analyses. 



Water, 

 Total solids, 

 Fat (in solids), 



II. Name, Nellie May. Age, 4 years. Weight, 860 lbs. .No. 

 of calves, 2. Last calf, Feb. 15, 1884. Feed, 4 quarts of clear 

 corn meal (6^ lbs.), and 16^ lbs. of hay per day. Average yield of 

 milk per day, 14^ lbs. 



Composition of Milk. April 8. April 11. Apjril 14. 



Water at 100° C, 87.57 87.18 87.09 



Total solids, 12.43 12.82 12.91 



Fat (in solids), 3.71 3.82 3.87 



