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STANDARDS FOR RATIONS AND DIETARIES. 217 
which decide the profit of feeding. Both, however, make accu- 
rate experiment the principal basis of their calculations. 
THE FEEDING PRACTICE OF FARMERS. 
In the tabular statement on page 46 may be found results of the 
averages of 23 observations of methods of feeding actually prac- 
ticed by dairymen in Connecticut, to which reference has just been 
made. ‘The observations were made by representatives of the 
Station who visited each farm, and with the aid of the owner of 
the cows measured and weighed the food, took samples for analysis, 
and measured the milk and tested the quantities of fat by the Bab- 
cock method. ‘The periods of observation were either five or 
twelve days each. Such observations, of course, leave much to be 
desired, but still the results do, without doubt, giveat least a reason- 
ably accurate idea of the actual usage of these feeders at the time 
when the observations were made. They doubtless diverge more 
or less in each case from the actual practice of feeding the herd 
for the season. But by repeating these observations from year 
to year on the same farms and on different farms, we shall gradu- 
ally get more and more exact information as to how Connecticut 
farmers actually feed their cows, how much milk they get, and 
how much butter-fat it contains. Such observations collated and 
averaged will lead toward formulas for the actual practice of 
American feeders. 
Another method for learning the practice of feeders has been 
adopted by other experiment stations and especially by two, the 
New York State, and the Wisconsin Station. The results of the 
observations by the Wisconsin Station are summarized on page 46 
of the present Report, and on pages 94 to ror of the Report of this 
Station for 1893. ‘They may be found in detail in the Bulletin of 
the Wisconsin Station already cited. Messrs. Woods and Phelps 
have commented upon them in the present Report. They have 
also been referred to in the Experiment Station Record, Vol. VL, 
pages 350-352. It is not needful that I should add anything to 
the comments there made. ‘The thing to be insisted upon here is 
that even if the average of the feeding practices of a larger or 
smaller number of feeders were made up from accurate observa- 
tions it would be a mere chance if it were a correct formula for 
profit for any one of them, and that it would be still less apt to be 
the best formula for profitable feeding for other feeders under 
other conditions. The average of an indefinite number of 
