
A STUDY OF RATIONS FED TO MILCH COWS. 55 
The cost of food to produce one pound of butter was as follows: 



TOTAL Cost OF FEED. NEtT* Cost oF FEED. 




HERD. N : N 
Wide Ration. pea “| Wide Ration. SET ONE 
Xation. Ration. 
Cents. Cents, Cents. Cents, 
A. -- - - : 25 19 14 9 
17 : - 2 21 20 EL LO 
Gent = - - i: 30 26 19g 14 
Average, - - 25 02 15 li 





* Total cost less value of obtainable manure. 
In 1893 we visited a dairy farm om which the cows (a herd of 
grade Jerseys) were receiving a very wide ration. The ration as 
fed contained per 1,000 pounds, live weight, only 1.35 pounds 
digestible protein. The nutritive ratio was 1to 11.3. In 1894 
we again visited this farm, intending to make a 12-days’ test with 
the old method of feeding and later another test with a narrow 
ration. But it transpired that the owner had meanwhile caught 
the idea himself and had changed his feeding practice very mate- 
rially. We made a r12-days’ test and found that instead-of a wide 
ration he was feeding a narrow one, and one that we had not the 
hardihood to attempt to improve. He was feeding 2.70 pounds 
digestible protein per 1,000 pounds, live weight, or double the 
amount of the year before, and the nutritive ratio was 1 to 5.7 
instead of 1 to 11.3. ‘The gross cost of the ration for 1893 was 23 
cents per 1,000 pounds, live weight, and in 1894, 22 cents. The net 
cost in 1894 was g cents against 13 cents in 1893. The average 
weight of the herd was practically the same both years. The 5-days’ 
test of 1893 and the 12-days’ test of 1894 compare as follows: 




TOTAL COST OF FOOD TO PRODUCE NET* Cost OF FoopD To PRODUCE 

too Lbs. Milk. t Lb. Butter. too Lbs. Milk I Lb. Butter. 

Wide Narrow | Wide | Narrow Wide Narrow | Wide | Narrow 
Ration. | Ration. | Ration. | Ration. | Ration. | Ration. | Ration. | Ration. 










1893: ISQ4. 1593. IS94. 1893. 1894. 1593. S94. 
$1.44 PU Oume24 cts, 4. 19.ctsa.) i ctsa 151 cts, | 14¢cts. 9 cts. 





* Total cost less value of obtainable manure. 
It would be difficult to convince this man that it did not pay 
him to change from a wide to a narrow ration. 
