WiLSO'N^ Food- Umi Method in the Fattening of Cattle. 35 



Eight lots were fed on long fodder and concentrates, with minus 

 efficiencies in six eases, namely ; — 



Two lots were fed on roots and concentrates, both with minus efficiencies, 

 namely : — 



No. Roots. Concentrates. Efficiency, 



lbs. • lbs. 



70 131-11 4-6 - 2 



81 127-03 7-72 - 3 



It is obvious that such rations are generally inefficient, more especially 

 when they contain large supplies of roots. 



On running down the figures for the remaining rations, all of which 

 contained the three ingredients, long fodder, roots, and concentrates, it 

 will be seen that efficiency does not vary with the quantities of either 

 long fodder or concentrates, for, among the rations falling to the right 

 side of the upright line, the former run from 16 lbs. down to 8 lbs., and 

 the latter from 10 lbs. down to 3 lbs. Generally the quantity of long 

 fodder is smallest in the most inefficient rations ; but the inefficiency is not 

 due to this. The ingredient which clearly affects the efficiency of a ration 

 and, at the same time, keeps down the consumption of long fodder, is the 

 roots. Leaving aside the 6-cwt. and 7-cwt. groups, in which the variations 

 are small, the most inefficient rations contained large quantities of roots, 

 and, as the rations increased in efficiency, the quantities of roots generally 

 declined. 



If a rough opinion may be hazarded, which is all that may be done in 

 the meantime, it is that the efficiency of a ration runs risk of being lowere_d 

 when the roots in it are over 80 poimds. In ijord's second experiment with 

 cows, it was found that about 50 pounds of roots might be added to a usual 

 ration of long fodder and concentrates, and the cows would consume the 

 normal ration as before, plus the roots, and at the same time give two or 

 three pounds more milk a day. Later experimenters found, however, that 



