118 STORRS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT. STATION. 
which is established as a rule or model for guidance based upon 
experience.’’ A so-called standard ration based upon the av- 
erage feeding practice of dairymen or upon the practice of dif- 
ferent dairymen with different herds in different places or upon 
the practice of a single feeder with a single herd could hardly 
be taken as a model for guidance. ‘The best formula for profit 
even assuming that it might be called a ‘‘ standard ration’’ can- 
not be obtained from the practice of feeders working under 
widely varying conditions. ‘The futility of such an attempt is 
illustrated by the experience set forth in the previous article on 
‘“‘A Study of Rations fed to Milch Cows in Connecticut.’’ A 
number of average rations were there given together with the 
amounts of milk and butter-fat obtained when they were used. 
One of these was the average of thirty-two rations as found in 
actual use. In order to compare the results obtained with 
larger and with smaller quantities of protein the herds and 
rations were divided into two groups,* those with more than 
two pounds of digestible protein and those with two pounds or 
less of digestible protein per cow per day. The group includ- 
ing the cows with more than two pounds of digestible protein 
per day consisted of 43 registered, 161 grade and 23 native 
cows, making 227 in all. The group including the cows re- 
ceiving less than two pounds of digestible protein per day in- 
cluded 30 registered, 164 grade and 32 native cows, making 
226 animals. Nearly all of the registered and grade animals 
in both groups were Jerseys and Guernseys. It is thus seen 
that there was no very great difference between the two groups 
of sixteen herds each as regards the breeds of cows. The 
Station representative who visited the herds, weighed the fod- 
der and took samples for analysis, and weighed and analyzed 
the milk, found nothing to indicate any especial difference in 
either the selection or the management of the two different 
groups. In other words, aside from the feed there was no 
apparent reason for expecting any difference in the milk and 
butter yields. 
The average daily yield of butter obtained where more than 
two pounds of digestible protein were fed would have been 
worth 3.6 cents more than the average obtained from the 
other group, if the butter is estimated at 20 cents per pound. 
¢¢ 

* See table on page 60, 


