The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-11-03
Experiments with Wide and Narrow
RatiOns.

AT the Hatch Experiment Station, in
Massachusetts,, two lots of cows we're
fed on foods differing in kind, one lot
receiving "narrow" ration and the
other "wide" ration. BY narrow ra-
ton is meant one containing four or
five times as much carbohydrates
(starchy matter) as protein (nitrogen-
GUS matter) the wide ration containing
eight or ten times as much carbohy-
drates as protein. The wide ration
consisted of pound more of hay daily
than in the narrow, and in that expert
ment all the cows were given hay and
sugar beets. Corn meal and wheat
bran were given in the wide ration and
gluten meal and wheat bran in the mar
row ration. In the second experiment,
hay, millet and soy bean ensilage were
given all the cows, the concentrated
foods of the narrow ration being gluten
meal, bran, and old process lineeed
meal, the concentrated foods of the
| wide ration consisting of wheat bran
and corn meal.
RESULTS OF THE FEEDING.
With the narrow rations from IL 8 to
1919 per cent more milk was obtained
than from the wide ration considering
the proportions digested, and the mar
row rations also reduced the cost of
production from to IL per cent. The
average daily cost of quart Of milk by
the use of the narrow ration was Isl
cents, and with the wide ration 1877
cents, while the same ratio of increase
in the amount of butter and the de-
crease in cost was obtained from the
narrow ration, the cost of butter being
1857 cents per pound for the narrow
ration and 16 50 cents for the wide ra-
ton. With the narrow rations the best
COW, in one experiment, produced 12.2
pounds of butter in week, at a cost of
ID cents per pound, while in the same
experiment the best COW on the wide
ration produces 9.52 pounds of butter
per week, at cost of 16 81 cents pei
pound. In the second experiment, the
best cow, on the narrow ration, pro.
duced 1891 pounds of butter per week
at cost of 11.66 cents per pound, the
best COW on the wide ration producing
at the same time 1892 pounds, at cos,
of 1911 cents per pound. The same
comparative results were received from
other cows in the lots, though the
quantities were less. The daily amount
of food consumed by six cows was, in
the first experiment, as the narrow ra.
ton, was three pounds wheat bran, 5 81
pounds gluten meal, 1917 pounds hay
and II pounds sugar beets; the wide
ration was 3 pounds wheat bran, 5.SG
corn meal, 1917 pounds hay and II
pounds sugar beets. The narrow ra
ton, in the second experiment, was
2.S3 pounds bran, pounds gluten
meal, 1872 pounds linseed meal, 10 81
pounds hay and 1888 millet and bear
ensilage, the wide ration being 1.9s
pounds bran, 5S3 pounds corn mea
and the same amount of hay and en-
silage as in the narrow ration. Oh
serve that the gluten meal and linseed
meals provided the larger portion Of
protein.
INCREASED VALUE OF MANURE.
In the above, the best results were
obtained from the foods containing the
gluten meal and linseed meal, the ra.
ton being thus narrowed, by contain
ing less starch and more protein, dem
onstating that more milk and butter
can be obtained when the starcby foods
are five to one of the protein, thar
when they are ten to one, and the cos
is also reduced. 1t therefore pays To
use the heterogeneous foods more liber
ally. But there is a profit which Is also
worthy of consideration, and that is
the increase in the value of the ma
nure. In these experiments the mar
row ration produced manure having
20 per cent more fertilizing value than
that from the wide ration, and the lane
is therefore improved, the manure in
creasing more largely in heterogeneous
than in the cheaper mineral substances
If the milk is fed on the farm, as skin
milk or buttermilk, the butter only
being sold, the gain to the manure will
be further increased, as the butter re-
moves almost nothing from the farm.
1t has been also demonstrated that the
farmer can purchase by products, such
as gluten meal and linseed meal TO his
advantage, thus permitting him to add
more stock in order to consume Other
foods, or he can sell the cheaper foods
and buy the better kind.-Hoard's