
A STUDY OF RATIONS FED TO MILCH COWS. 73 
Cost of Food to Produce One Pound of Butter. 













Tora Cost oF FEED. Net Cost or FEEp.* 
HERD. ‘ 
. : arrower : é Narrower 
Wide Ration. Ration. Wide Ration. ren 
Cents. Cents. Cents. Cents. 
Rs. = > 5 : 24 19 13 9 
B, - - - - 21 20 11 10 
es - - - 29 25 19 14 
ie - 3 - 18 20 9 9 
E, Z 2 . - 18 15 IO 7 
. 15 17 7 7 
a> < - : - 18+ 18t St 6 
Average, - - 20 19 11 9 
* Total cost less that of obtainable manure. + First ration. + Second ration. 
In cases where the coarse fodders used were similar in both 
the first and the second tests, the total cost of the second, or 
narrow ration, was generally less. When the net cost of food 
is taken into consideration, the narrower ration proved cheaper 
in all cases except two; in these the cost was the same for the 
narrow and wide rations. The lower net cost of the narrow 
rations is due to the fact that nitrogen is found in larger quan- 
tities in these rations. A large part of this nitrogen goes into 
the manure, and adds greatly to its value. 
SUMMARY.—THE HXPEHRIMENTS AND RESULTS. 
L[n the winter of 1892-93, the Station began making systematic 
observations of the winter feeding practices of Connecticut datry- 
men. The chief points upon which information was obtained 
were: Number of animats in the herd, breed, age, and approxt- 
mate weight of cach cow, length of time since dropping last calf 
and till due to calve again, kinds, weights, and chemical compost- 
tion of feeding stuffs used; weights of milk flow, percentages and 
amounts of butter-fat in the mtr. 
The feeding stuffs used on these farms included quite a long 
list, but those that tend to make a wide ration were employed in 
much greater proportions than were those which tend to make 
rations narrow. The following ts a nearly complete list. The 
nutritive ratios are calculated from the analyses made in the 
experiments taken, together with other analyses of like materials, 
as used in New England. The more nitrogenous materials are, 
