A STUDY OF RATIONS FED TO MILCH COWS. TD 
The figures used for estimating the values of the feeding 
stufis, z. ¢., the market prices per ton and the values of 
manure obtainable from one ton of each of the feeding stuffs 
are stated in the accompanying table: 
Valuation of feeding stuffs as used in rations fed milch cows 
zm winter of 1895-96. 





Marictre rite _Estimated Value of 
Pennie oro, | ner Ton | the Manure Obtain- 
| F | able from One Ton 
| of Feeding Stuffs. of Feeding Stuffs. 
Wheat bran, - - : - : - * $13.00 | $12.00 
Wheat middlings, No. 1, = - - 14.00 *=10,00 
Cotton seed meal, - : E : 23.00 23.00 
Buffalo gluten feed, - - - - 14.00 12.00 
Chicago gluten meal, - : = - 18.00 | 15.00 
O. P. linseed meal, - - - - 22.00 19.00 
Corn meal, - = ; . : - 14.00 7.00 
Hay, Ist quality, - - - - - 16.00 6.00 
Hay, 2d quality, - - = : - 12,00 6.00 
Oat hay, - -> - - - - 12.00 6.00 
Corn stover, - - - - - - 8.00 5.00 
Cloverhay, - - - - - - 14.00 9.00 
Potatoes, small, - - - - - 10c. per bu. — 


The prices of the feeding stuffs used in calculating the cost 
of rations were those current in November, 1896. ‘They were 
obtained, in the case of the grain feeds, by sending circulars to 
grain dealers in five Connecticut cities asking the current prices 
of grains in ton lots, and averaging the figures thus obtained. 
The coarse fodders are based upon the market value of the 
various materials as estimated by farmers. ‘The manurial value 
is based upon figures given in the Report of the Massachusetts 
Agricultural Experiment Station for 1893, pp. 358-365. The 
nitrogen in the feeding stuff is counted as worth 17% cents, 
the phosphoric acid at 5 cents, and the potash at 5% cents per 
pound for manure, and it is assumed that 85 per cent. of the 
quantities in the food may be saved in the manure. Unfortu- 
nately, most farmers take such poor care of the manure pro- 
duced from the materials fed to their stock, that a much smaller 
percentage is usually saved. 
DAIRY HERD‘H.—TESTS 35 AND 37. 
The dairy herd represented in these tests was studied Decem- 
ber 3-14, 1895. After an interval of nine days, during which 
the Station representative made the change of feed, the same 
