NITROGENOUS FEEDING STUFFS. 105 
Experiments at the Massachusetts (State) Agricultural Expert- 
ment Station.*—Six cows were fed in groups of three each, 
alternating between narrow and wide rations. ‘The narrow 
rations contained about 2.60 pounds of digestible protein per 
day, and the wide ration 1.30 pounds per day. Other rations 
were fed later in the experiment, but for the present pur- 
poses comparison has been made only between three rations, 
two narrow and one wide. ‘The cows were fed in two lots of 
three each, during periods of fourteen days. Cows 1, 2, and 
3, were fed the narrow ration while cows 4, 5, and 6 were hav- 
ing the wide ration; afterwards cows 4, 5, and 6 received the 
narrow ration while cows 1, 2, and 3 had the wide ration. 
The average narrow rations fed the six cows, Series I.@ and 
Series II. a, are shown in table 13, together with the interven- 
ing wide ration, Series I.4. "The average results on the yields 
of milk, butter-fat, and solids, and the percentages of solids, 
fat, and solids’not fat, are also shown in the same table. It 
will be noticed that in the first two series of the experiment, 
when the animals passed from a narrow ration to a wide ration, 
there was a decided falling off in the milk flow, 21.0 to 19.0 
pounds per day per cow, while the narrow ration, Series 
II. a, which was fed when the cows were considerably farther 
along in the period of lactation, seemed to check the decline in 
the milk flow. ‘The average percentages of fat for the six 
cows while the first narrow ration was being fed (period 1) 
was 4.60 per cent.; for the wide ration (period 2), 4.16 per 
cent.; and for the narrow ration which was fed later (period 
3), 4.81 per cent. The average percentage of fat in the total 
solids of the milk was 34.1 per cent. while the narrow rations 
were fed, and 30.9 per cent. while the wide rations were 
fed. Dr. J. B. Lindsey, who conducted and reported the 
experiment, says in his summary as follows: 
“The experiment certainly indicates that rations so put together as to contain 
2.5 to 3.5 pounds digestible protein, can be fed with greater profit to the farmer 
than rations containing 2 pounds.”’ 
‘‘ The milk was principally affected in the first series, when the change from 1.5 
to 3 pounds of digestible protein (per thousand pounds live weight) was made. 
If the change had been more gradual, it is possible but little change in the milk 
would have been noted.” 

 * Twelfth Annual Report, 1894. 
