48 MAINE STATE COLLEGE 



practice in cattle feeding. Experience and observation have 

 appeared to show that roots have a value which scientific investi- 

 gation does not accord to them and many feeders are very slow to 

 look any farther than commonly expressed opinion. The opinion 

 is met in many quarters that roots are especially profitable as food 

 for sheep. Hon. I. C. Libby of Burnham, Me., in a conversation 

 with a member of the Station staff, advanced the idea that turnips 

 have a value as sheep food greater than that with which they are 

 generally credited, and greater, perhaps, than they have as food 

 for certain other classes of animals. Later, in a letter addressed 

 to the Director of the Station in response to certain inquiries, Mr. 

 Libby referred to the importance of sheep husbandry to Maine, 

 and expressed the opinion that roots should be made to fill a 

 more prominent place in the sheep ration. He also suggested that 

 the relative value of roots would be a proper subject of investi- 

 gation by the Station. In accordance with this suggestion, plans 

 were made for conducting an experiment with sheep in the winter 

 of 1890-91, which should have for its sole object a comparison of 

 the -value of roots and of mixed grains as fattening food. During 

 the summer of 1890, the requisite quantity of Rutabagas was 

 produced on the College Farm, which were stored in fine condition. 

 Early in December twenty-four good sized and perfectly healthy 

 ewes were purchased. They were somewhat thin in flesh and 

 were in first-rate condition for use in an experiment of this kind. 

 In planning this experiment it was possible to do so from either 

 of two points of view. It is very commonly remarked when 

 roots are made a subject of discussion, that the}' are especially 

 valuable because by feeding them the animal is kept in a more 

 healthy condition and his appetite is stimulated, so that more of 

 other kinds of food are consumed and therefore greater growth is 

 obtained than would otherwise be possible. This is one point of 

 view. The other is a consideration of roots as a main supply of 

 food outside the coarse fodder, or as a substitute for grain. Now 

 if an experiment were to be planned to test the value of turnips 

 because of their physiological effect in the ration, the question 

 would be answered only by feeding one lot of sheep on dry food 

 entirely and another lot on dry food combined with more or less 

 roots. But if the nutritive effect of turnips as a main supple- 

 ment of hay is the point to be considered, then a safe conclusion 

 can more surely be reached by feeding some turnips to one lot of 

 sheep and more to the other, the difference in amount of digesti- 



