I907-] 



Feeding Dairy Cows. 



have led him to believe that the " Violet " Solatium Commersoni, 

 and the " Blue Giant " arc identical, and this view is supported 

 by a number of other experimenters. M. Labergerie, the origi- 

 nator of the " Violet " variety, however, disputes the accuracy 

 of these conclusions, and considers thai the resistance- to disease, 

 the superior yield, the llavonr, and the preference for moist soils 

 exhibited by his variety, afford sufficient evidence to enable it to 

 be distinguished from the Blur (riant. 



The two tubers have been grown side by side in this country, 

 and no difference in their tubers or in the whole plant could be 



detected. The ** Violet " variety, hOWever s may well have been 



a " sport " from 5. Commersoni, as it is no further removed from 

 thai plant than " Blue Giant 11 is from S. tuberosum. More- 

 over, competent observers find good reasons for believing that 

 5. Commersoni and S. tuberosum, as known to botanists, may 

 be only feral forms of one species. 



Experiments on the feeding of dairy cows have been carried 

 out by the Armstrong College since 1903, and a report (Offer ton 



1- no advantage in giving cows more than enough food to 

 keep them in a thriving condition. 



It was found that in the case of cows at grass the effect of 

 a supplementary ration of 4 lb. to 8 lb. of concentrated food, 

 consisting ol Hombay cake and maize meal, on the vield of 

 milk was exceedingly small, and was observable onlv towards 

 t'o' end ol the season, when the pasture was becoming stale 

 and the nights cold ; the cost was naturallv out of all pro- 

 portion to the slight effect produced. In the same wav no 

 advantage was obtained as regards the quality of the milk. 

 Quality is mainlv dependent upon the character of the cows, 

 and provided the animals receive adequate nourishment, no 

 in« tease in the ration is likely to affect the quality to any 

 appreciable extent . 



Two experiments were also undertaken to ascertain the 

 eltect of brewers' grains upon the quantity and quality of 



Feeding Dairy Cows. 

 Effect of Brewers' 

 Grains. 



Bulletin, No. 2) recently published gives 

 the results obtained in 1905-6. Generally 

 they confirm the experiments carried out 

 here and elsewhere in showing that there 



