62 STORRS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 
our continent, we have the following average American ration, 
as it may be called, as against the rations published by German 
experinienters heretofore largely used in this country.”’ 
This average, which is given in the table above, is designated 
as an ‘‘American Standard Ration for Dairy Cows,’’ with the 
further statement that, ‘‘It is the result of American feeding 
experiments; the majority of our most successful dairymen feed 
in the way indicated by the dairy ration, and we shall not go 
far amiss if we follow their example.’’ Average rations will 
vary in accordance with the number of individual rations used 
in obtaining the average. From the table just given it will 
be seen that the average ration fed in the herds studied in this 
State has been considerably changed during the past year. It 
would be absurd to consider any one of these averages as a 
standard ration. ‘The average of these 128 rations represents 
the feeding practice of that number of American dairymen as 
calculated from the more or less accurate estimates of the feed- 
ers themselves, as to the amounts fed. ‘The materials were 
neither weighed nor analyzed. ‘The weights were the feeders’ 
estimates and the composition was assumed from the average 
of other analyses. ‘The variations in the amounts of the dif- 
ferent food constituents in the different rations were very 
large. ‘The ranges were: 
Protein, « - : - = - - from 4.34 lbs. to 1.03 lbs. 
Carbohydrates, - - - = = “ORI9 297 bsive \ 727 ous: 
Faty:- = - - = - a eh nr S$ Pel Seu wens (elias 
Nutritive Ratio, - - - = hylan, wel CT 276 aie, eke eee 
If the estimates of weights and composition of the materials 
were correct, the amounts of the different nutrients fed by these 
128 different dairymen varied all the way between these figures. 
These estimates doubtless give a more or less fair indication 
of the ways in which good farmers commonly feed in the 
regions where the information was obtained. What would be 
the results of correct weighings and analyses of the fodders 
used by the same farmers, is uncertain. How closely such 
accurate data from these men would agree with equally accurate 
data regarding the practice of other feeders is likewise beyond 
our knowledge. The results of such inquiries are certainly 
very valuable, and it is to be hoped we shall have more, but 
until a much larger number are obtained, and with much greater 
is ae e 4 : yes 
