VALUES OF VARIOUS NEW FEEDS FOR DAIRY COWS 
Since the proportions, as shown, do not take into account the dif- 
ference in gain in live weight, they may be regarded as indicating a 
maximum, if not an excessive, value for velvet-bean meal. 
SWEET-POTATO MEAL COMPARED WITH CORN MEAL 
Sweet-potato meal was prepared by Dr. H. C. Gore, of the Bureau 
of Chemistry, from, sweet potatoes of standard varieties grown at 
the Arlington Experiment Farm. The sweet potatoes, after being 
shredded with sugar-beet knives, were dried and ground. The meal 
was fed in comparison with corn meal to four cows in groups of two 
cows each, for two periods of 50 days each. The grain mixture used 
for one group consisted of sweet-potato meal 3 parts, bran 1 part, oats 
1 part, and cottonseed meal 1 part; that used for the other group 
was the same except that corn meal was substituted for the sweet- 
potato meal. This was fed at the rate of about 10 pounds to each 
pound of fat produced. The remainder of the ration consisted of 
alfalfa hay 8 pounds and corn silage 25 to 30 pounds. The results 
are shown in Table 12. 
Table 12. — Comparative results of feeding sweet-potato meal and corn meal 
Quantity of feed Yield 
Gain or 
Group 
Sweet- 
potato 
meal 
Corn 
meal 
Grain 
mixture 
Alfalfa 
hay 
Corn 
silage 
Milk 
Butter- 
fat 
loss (— ) 
in body 
weight 
Pounds 
863.0 
Pounds 
Pounds 
863.1 
865.5 
Pounds 
1,592 
1,596 
Pounds 
4,943 
5,226 
Pounds 
3, 960. 2 
4, 083. 2 
Pounds 
157. 04 
160. 89 
Pounds 
— 11 
767.5 
—64 
It will be noted in Table 12 that the cows fed sweet-potato meal 
yielded slightly less milk and butterfat, consumed a few hundred 
pounds less corn silage, and showed 53 pounds less loss in live weight; 
and that 863 pounds of sweet-potato meal were consumed as against 
767.5 pounds of corn meal. While the number of cows is too small 
to permit satisfactory conclusions, the indications are that sweet- 
potato meal is about as valuable as corn meal, and until more exten- 
sive experiments are conducted the chemical analysis will probably 
answer as a fairly reliable guide in estimating the nutritive value of 
the meal. No difference was noted in the palatability of the two 
meals. 
POTATO SILAGE COMPARED WITH CORN SILAGE 
The potato silage used in this experiment was prepared by Dr. 
H. C. Gore, of the Bureau of Chemistry. The potatoes after being 
washed were passed through a machine fitted with steel pins on a 
cylinder, which tore them into small pieces. The silage was pre- 
served in two small silos and kept in good condition, but was too 
soft to bear the weight of a person. 
The corn silage fed in comparison was of first-class quality except 
for 25 days of the feeding, during which time 5-year-old silage was 
used. This was hardly so palatable as that kept for only one or two 
years. Six cows were fed for two periods of 30 days each. Silage 
