754 Summary of Agricultural Experiments, [dec, 



delicate animals were selected, and the sudden change and large 

 quantity given had no ill-effect. 



Soy Bean Cake as a Food for Milch Cows (Roy. Agric. Coll., Ciren- 

 cester, Scientific Bull. No. i, 1909). — This experiment was carried out 

 for four weeks, from April 12th to May 9th. Two lots of three cows 

 each were selected from the College herd, care being taken that their 

 age, period of lactation, and quantity of milk per day were as nearly 

 equal as possible. They were turned out to grass on April 5th, and 

 received the following concentrated food each per day : — Lot I., Soy 

 bean cake 4 lb., bran 1 lb., ground oats 2 lb.; Lot II., decorticated 

 cotton cake 4 lb., bran 1 lb., ground oats 2 lb. In addition all received 

 35 lb. pulped mangolds, 6-8 lb. chaff, and a small allowance of hay. 

 The milk of each lot was weighed night and morning, tested for the 

 percentage of butter-fat and cream, and churned three times a week. 

 The conclusion from the trial was that the yield of milk seemed to 

 be little affected by the kind of cake used. The percentage of butter- 

 fat in the case of the bean cake remained almost constant ; with the 

 decorticated cotton cake the percentage had a tendency to fall. The 

 butter produced by the bean cake was of a soft, oily nature, and 

 churned quickly, but it yielded well (1 lb. of butter from 26*12 lb. of 

 milk). The butter produced by the decorticated cotton cake, on the 

 other hand, was hard, and took a longer time to churn; the yield, 

 however, was not so good as from the bean cake (1 lb. of butter 

 from 27*42 lb. of milk). From this it seemed that the Soy bean cake 

 would be the better food for winter feeding, especially at the then prevail- 

 ing prices of each. The butter from the bean cake was of a decidedly 

 paler colour, and somewhat inferior flavour as compared with that 

 from the cotton cake. No difference as to the laxative effect or other- 

 wise of the two cakes was noticeable in the cows. 



Effect of Soy Bean Cake on Cattle (Board of Agriculture and 

 Fisheries). — Soy bean cake, some of which had been held responsible 

 by a farmer for the death of three heifers, was fed to a Jersey heifer 

 in the following quantities : — First week, 3 lb. of the broken cake 

 daily ; second week, 6 lb. daily ; third week, 10 lb. daily. No ill- 

 effects were produced, and the improvement in the condition of the 

 heifer was most marked. (The death of the three heifers referred to 

 was found to be due to poisoning with arsenical sheep-dip paste.) 



Feeding Dairy Cows with Soy Cake (Midland Agric. and Dairy 

 Coll., Reports on Expts. with Crops and Stock, 1909-10). — Soy bean 

 cake was compared with linseed cake in a mixed ration. Two lots of 

 four cows were fed from January 31st to March 26th, and the follow- 

 ing ration was given : — 56 lb. mangolds, 7 lb. chopped straw, 2 lb. 

 mixed meal, 3 lb. undecorticated cotton cake, and either 3 lb. Soy 

 cake or 3 lb. linseed cake. The Soy cake was bought at £j 5s. per 

 ton, and the linseed cake at ^8 175. 6d. per ton. In order to lessen 

 irregularities, one lot of cows was fed for the first month on Soy 

 cake and changed to linseed cake for the second month, while the 

 other lot was given linseed cake for the first month, and Soy cake 

 for the second. In this way all the cows had Soy cake for four 

 weeks and linseed cake for four weeks. The total yield of milk from 

 eight cows getting Soy cake for four weeks was 4,964 lb., while from 

 the same cows on linseed cake it was 4,8485 lb. The cows increased 



