66o Summary of Agricultural Experiments, [nov., 



SUMMARY OF AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENTS. 



Experiments with Live Stock.* 



Summer Feeding of Dairy Cattle (Lanes. C.C. Farmer's Bull. No. 9). 

 —The object of this experiment, which was carried out in the summer 

 of 1908, was to compare equal weights of undecorticated cotton cake 

 and decorticated cotton cake as supplementary foods for dairy cattle on 

 grass. Two uniform lots of five cows each were chosen, and Lot I. was 

 given 2 lb. undecorticated cotton cake, and 2 lb. maize meal, while Lot II. 

 was given 2 lb. decorticated cotton cake, and 2 lb. maize meal. The cost 

 of the undecorticated cotton cake was gs., and of the decorticated 

 £j 19s. 6d. per ton. At the end of four weeks the feeding was reversed, 

 Lot I. receiving decorticated and Lot II. undecorticated cotton cake. 

 The change was made gradually in order to allow the cows to become 

 accustomed to the new diet, and a fortnight intervened between the 

 first and second period of the experiment. The cows fed on undecorti- 

 cated cotton cake gave a slightly heavier yield of milk than the others, 

 and owing to the difference in cost of the two cakes, the estimated profit 

 was decidedly larger in the case of the cows fed on undecorticated cake, 

 though this balance would be reduced if the smaller manurial value 

 of the latter cake were taken into consideration. The cows of Lot I. 

 showed a greater gain than those of Lot II. in the percentage of fat in 

 the milk during the first month, and also during the second month 

 when the feeding was reversed, showing, as has been noticed pre- 

 viously, that the individuality of the cow has much more to do with the 

 percentage of fat than has the kind of food given. For butter-making 

 the decorticated cotton cake was more satisfactory, but for cheese- 

 making the two foods were equally satisfactory. 



Feeding of Cattle and Sheep (Univ. Coll. of N. Wales, Bangor, 

 Bull. 10, 1908).— In this experiment the feeding value of decorticated 

 cotton cake was compared with that of the same weight of undecorti- 

 cated cotton cake and linseed cake, mixed in equal proportions. Two 

 lots of four bullocks received as much as they cared to eat of pulped 

 roots and chaffed hay and straw, with a little long hay every evening, 

 the average quantity consumed being 70 lb. of swedes, 7^ lb. of hay, 

 and 75 lb. of straw. In addition the animals in Lot I. were given 

 3 lb. decorticated cotton cake and 3 lb. maize meal, while Lot II. 

 received if lb. undecorticated cotton cake, \\ lb. linseed cake, and 3 lb. 

 maize meal. These quantities were given from December 9th to 

 January 10th ; from January 10th to January 30th the quantities were 

 increased to 4 lb. of cake and 4 lb. of meal per head, and from January 

 30th to February 18th, they were raised to 5 lb. of each per head. The 

 difference in the increase of live weight produced by the two systems 

 of feeding was small, but there was a balance in favour of decorticated 

 cotton cake, without taking into account its higher manurial value. 



* The summaries of Agricultural Experiments which have appeared in the present 

 volume have been as follows : — Experiments with Cereals, April, p. 65, and May, 

 p. 150 ; Experiments with Root Crops, June, p. 239, and July, p. 311 ; Experiments 

 with Potatoes, July, p. 313, and August, p. 402 ; Miscellaneous Experiments, 

 August, p. 405, and September, p. 489 ; Experiments with Clover and Grass, 

 October, p. 589. 



