AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 109 



FOOD OF THE COWS. 



In feeding these cows, an effort has been made to adapt the 

 food to their needs and appetite. 



While the cows have been in millc they have received, excepting 

 for a few weeks before parturition and for a short time after, the 

 following grain rations : 



Jansje, 8 lbs. mixed grain 



Nancy Avondale, 7 " " •' 



Queen Linda, 7 " " " 



Agnes, 6 " ^' "■ 



Ida, 6 '• " " 



This grain was a mixture of two parts of corn meal, and one 

 part each of cotton-seed meal and wheat bran, by weight For a 

 time before and after parturition no cotton-seed meal has been fed, 

 the amount of grain being diminished and made to contain a larger 

 proportion of wheat bran. 



The amount of hay fed was adapted more or less to the appe- 

 tite of the cows, care being taken that the ration should be readi- 

 ly and completely eaten. 



During two months of the spring of 1889 ensilage was fed in 

 connection with the hay, fifty pounds being the maxim\im and 

 forty pounds the minimum quantity eaten daily. 



In the season of 1888 the cows were turned out to grass from 

 June 6 to Sept. 22, and in 1889 from June 11 to Oct. 10. Ex- 

 cepting during June and part of July the cows ate more or less 

 hay while at pasture. The grain ration was continued unchanged. 



The next table gives the dates within which a year's trial of 

 each cow was made, the total weights of food eaten, the length 

 of time at pasture, and the average weights of food and time of 

 pasturage reckoned for each of the three hundred and sixty-five 

 days in the year. 



2.JK 



