756 Summary of Agricultural Experiments, [dec, 



on for four years, 190 1-4. Two lots of five cows, as nearly alike as 

 possible in weight and length of time in milk, were selected, and 

 were treated in exactly the same manner, except that one lot was kept 

 in at night after milking, and the other lot turned out. The former 

 lot were given about 8 lb. of hay each in the racks at night. The 

 average results in four years with 10 cows each year are as follows 

 (the second four weeks of the experiment in 1904 are omitted, as 

 owing to cows calved in February drying off they are not comparable. 

 The results were, however, similar) : — 



Outdoors. Indoors, 



lb. lb. 



Yield of milk per cow per week during the 



period before the experiment ... ... 124 123 



Yield during the experiment ... ... 119 112 



Increase in percentage of butter fat during p e r cent. Per cent. 



the experiment ... ... ... ... 0*51 0*35 



Increase in live-weight per cow per week lb. lb. 



during the experiment... ...... 1 — 



These results are decidedly in favour of leaving the animals out 

 at night, as regards milk yield, while the treatment did not appear to 

 affect their weight. Observations were made on the animals on very 

 cold nights, and they were found lying down close to the homestead. 

 No shelters were available for them, and they did not appear to seek 

 shelter from the hedges. 



Sheep Breeding and Feeding (Cumberland and Westmorland Farm 

 School, Newton Rigg, 13th Ann. Rept., 1908-9). — The first trial dealt 

 with crossing for fat lambs. Lonk-Wensleydale ewes were compared 

 with the local grey- faced ewe (Scots black-face — Border-Leicester). 

 Half the ewes of both kinds were given to a Border-Leicester ram, 

 and half to an Oxford Down. The Lonk-Wensleydale proved as pro- 

 lific as any cross-bred ewe that has been tried at Newton Rigg, but 

 was not as good a milker as the grey-faced ewe, and the lambs, like 

 those from other ewes of a Wensleydale cross, required a compara- 

 tively long time to get ready for the fat market, being better growers 

 than fatteners. With regard to the different rams, the lambs sired by 

 the Oxford Down made heavier weights at the same age than those 

 by the Border-Leicester; on the other hand, the latter made rather 

 a better price per pound on account of fattening more easily for an 

 earlier market. 



In the feeding trial 27 Flerdwick hoggs were bought at the end ot 

 October, and wintered on grass with a rack of hay and occasional 

 swede tops. From the beginning of January cut swedes were fed daily 

 in troughs, and from the beginning of February \ lb. of linseed cake 

 and -§ lb. oats daily to every three hoggs. They were clipped in May, 

 and sold fat at the end of June. The following figures show the return 

 realised : — 



Selling Price £y] 16 o 



Wool— 100 lb. at 4<J. ... f 13 4 



£l9 9 4 



Cost Price ... ... 12 3 o 



Cake and Corn consumed o 12 o 



12 15 o 



Gross Profit 



£26 14 4 



