The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-12-14
NOTES FROM TIE PENNSYL-
VANIA EXPERIMENT
STATION,

Within the past year, new feed
ing stuff called "cotton seed feed F"
has been quite extensively advertised
in this and other states. This feed
purports to be mixture of one part
of cotton seed meal and.hve parts of
cotton hulls by weight, and is sold in
car lots at SII.5o per ton in bulk. 1t
is specially recommended for fatten-
ing purposes but is also claimed to
give good results in the pro-
ductlon of milk and butter.
In bulletin now in press, the Ex
pertinent Station gives the details of
some experiments carried out TO test
the value of this feed The feed has
been examined as to its chemical
composition, its digestiblity, and its
actual feeding value for dairy COWS.
The results of these experiments were
in brief as follows:
The chemical composition was
found, on the whole, to correspond
very we'll to the composition claimed
for the feed. Its digestibility was
comparatively low, the total amount
of diges,ible food present in the feed
being somewhat less than in clover or
timothy hay, and somewhat greater
than that found in good corn-fodder,
although the proportion of protein is
considerably higher than that in either
corn fodder or timothy. At the price
named, a pound of digestible food in
the cotton seed feed was found to cost
about "a per cent. more than in
timothy or clover hay and 20 per cent.
more than in corn.
Two experiments were made with
dairy COWS to test Its value as feed
for milk and butter. In the first ex-
pertinent a ration of cotton seed feed
and bran produced IS per cent. less
milk and 10 per cent. less butter than
one of corn-fodder, mixed hay, corn.
meal, and cotton.seed meal contain
ing the same amount OF dry matter.
The estimated net profit per COW per
day was II per cent less on the cot
ton seed feed ration than on the hay
and fodder ration. In the second ex-
pertinent, a ration of cotton seed feed,
bran, and Buffalo gluten mea produc,
ed Il per cent. less milk and 6 pei
cent. less butter than a ration ol
clover hay, corn meal, bran, and
Buffalo gluten meal, containing Fl
pounds more grain and I of pound
more coarse fodder. The net prof,
per day and head, in this case, was 4
per cent. less on the clover hay ration
than on the cotton seed feed ration,
but it is probable that the COWS on
the clover hay ration were somewhat
over fed.
The general conclusion drawn from
these Investigations is that cotton-seed
feed is too expensive in proportion tc
the amount of food which it contains
to successfully compete, on equa
terms, with ordinary dairy feeds al
average prices.
An Incidental result of the expert
ments is to illustrate the possibilities
of profit in dairying. The net profit
above the estimated cost of feed and
care in these experiments ranged from
II to o5 per cent. of the cost of the
feed. While there are other elements
of expense in dairying which are moi
included in these estimates, the results
+ nevertheless make very good show
. ing for the profits Of dairling and
particularly Of butter production.
The Experiment Station has recent
, " reprinted from its annual report
, for 1893 little pamphlet entitled
, Rational Stock Feeding" The
pamphlet contains tables of feeding
standards and of the composition and
dgestibility of feeds, together with
illustrations of the method of calculat
ing rations. 1t may be secured free
; upon application to the Director.
The annual reports and quarterly
; bulletins of the Station will be sent
, free of charge, on application, ano
! inquiries on agricultural subjects
answered SO far as possible.
Address,
H. P. ARMsBY, Director,
, State College,
Centre Co., Pa.