Bulletin Ao.16,: :

:

June, 1593.

Agricultural Experiment Station
-OF TL-E

AGRICULTURAL, AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE,
AUBUTRN, ALABAMA.

ALEX. J. BONPURANT,

AGRICULTURIST.

A. F. GORY, ASSISTANT AGRICULTURIST.

~'The

Bulletins of this Station will be sent free to any citizen of the

State on application to the Agricultural Experiment Station,

All communications should be addressed to

Auburn, Ala.

EXPERIMENT STATION, AUBURN, ALA. Published by order of the Board of Direction.
THE BROWN PRINTING CO., STATE PRINTERS, MONTGOMERY, ALA.

BOARD OF VISITORS
COMMITTEE OF TRUSTEES ON EXPERIMENT STATION.

Hull. HON. J. G. GILcHRIST..................................Hope Montgomery. F. LIGON ..................................... HON. HON. H. CLAY ARMSTRONG.............................Auburn.
R.

3BOAE?
WM.
LEROY

D

OF

7DIE?

JOTIONT_

BROUN.............................

.......... President'

Agriculturist. ..... ...... ..... A. J. BONDURANT Chemist. N. T. LUPTON..................................... Botanist and Meteorologist. P. H. MELL................................ Biologist. ............................ J. M. STEDMAN...................

......

C. A. CARY, D. V. M .....
JAMES CLAYTON ...........

.................. ASSISTANTS:
............... ..... ............
.................

Veterinarian.

A. F. J. T. ANDERSON,

CoRY*_.........
Ph. D ..

.... Assistant Horticulturist. Assistant Agriculturist.

. .

First Assistant Chemist.
Second Assistant Third Assistant Fourth Assistant Clerk, and Assistant Chemist. Chemist. Chemist. Botanist.

L. W. WILKINSON, M. Sc ................ F. A. LUPTON, M. Sc...... .......... R. F. HARE, B. Sc ..................... .......... G. S. CLARK ........
*In

charge of Soil-Test Experiments.

THE EFFECT OF RYE AND ENSILAGE ON THE YIELD OF MILK. The ensilage question is one of some interest to all of the farmers of Alabama, it is of especial interest to those few who are thinking of building silos. That ensilage is a good feed is beyond all question; whether or not it pays even in cold climates seems from the best evidence to depend on "Local circumstances and seasonal peculiarities." In Bulletin number 5, second series, volume 3, of the Ohio Experiment Station, after reviewing the work of nine other stations, the following conclusions are drawn: "While the results of these experiments are somewhat contradictory, those which bear evidence of the greatest thoroughness agree in indicating that there is practically no difference between the feeding values of a given quantity of corn, cured as ensilage, and an equivalent quantity cured as dry fodder, provided equally good husbandry has been used in both
cases.

Whether corn may be cured and preserved more economically by one process or the other depends largely upon local circumstances and seasonal peculiarities." The above quotation gives the standing of the silo question in the northern States where ensilage is most used; what the standing may be in Alabama and other States of the same latitude where green feed can be had the whole year round without silos, remains to be settled by experiment.
GREEN RYE AS OPPOSED TO ENSILAGE.

Last winter some simple experiments on Rye and Ensilage were conducted on this station, the object being to compare the effect of these two feeds on the yield of milk.

Four thoroughbred Jersey cows were used in the experiment. Before beginning the test the milk from each cow was carefully weighed for four days. The cows were then divided into two lots of as nearly equal milk producing capacity as possible. Kate Hazen 1st and Ransom's Pride were called for convenience lot 1, Hattie Signal 2d, and Miss Hattie Pogis were called lot 2. Up to the beginning of the experiment all of these cows had received the same feed. During the experiments both lots were given the same quantity of grain and fodder, the only difference in the feed being in the Rye and Ensilage. The regular grain feed per day was four quarts of corn and cob meal and two quarts of cotton seed meal, oat straw and shucks and during the latter part of the experiment pea hulls were used as dry fodder. The grain feed was made small in order to more clearly show the effect of rye and ensilage. The low yield of milk is due partly to the small grain feed and partly to the cold and rainy weather. The experiment was begun on the morning of February 3d, and continued until the night of March 2d, making 28 days. It is divided into two periods of fourteen days each. Duthe first period lot 1 was fed rye, and lot 2 ensilage. During the second period lot 1 was fed ensilage and lot 2 rye. At the beginning of the test, the quantity of rye fed per day to each cow was 30 pounds. This was increased to 40 and on the fifth day of the test to 50 pounds. Kate Hazen 1st, failed to eat all of her rye and for the remainder of the experiment only 40 pounds of rye per day was fed to each cow. At the beginning of the 2d period the rye given to Both lot 2 was raised in the same way to 50 pounds. cows in this lot failed to eat all of the 50 pounds, and the quantity given per day for the remainder of this period was

5 40 pounds. The ensilage was measured, but several times it was weighed and the weight fed per day found to be about 25 pounds None of the cows ate all of the ensilage given. The ensilage used was a fairly good quality of sour ensilage made of corn cut just after the grains had glazed. The rye used was cut every evening. It was sown thickly
in drills two feet apart on well

manured land and was ready

for the first cutting in November. The following tables give the daily yield of milk from each cow
FIRST PERIOD.
LOOTI, RYE.
LOT

1[, ENSILAGE,
bJJ*q 0

O

015
12202 o2
.C

V4-4 P

MO

f2 " O O

S

i I

i

t

i t f

3 4 6 7 8 9 10 1:? 13 14 15 16

11%4
12%2

9%4
11%2

14/ 134
13%2

13%4 11%4 12'4 14%4 14
1414

12 1214, 13?/ 12%2 13%4
1212

201/ 23%4 244 26 26 26%4 2424
252

8%4 9 9
912 912 912

13%4 15 13%4 14 4
13'2

13%4
14'2

22 24 22%4 23~ 23 23%4 24
2312

13%4 12%4
12j2

24%4 28
40

91014
0l
1 L

14 13%4
23?

22%4

23j

74

14%
1W54

12%4
1212 1712

26% 27
26'2 357%4

93
934 10O2 133'%

13'2 13%2

14%4 14%4

23 3/ 23%4 2412 24%4 328

Total yield of Lot I Total yield of Lot II
Balance in

.....
.......
..

favor of Rye

194%4 357%4 pounds. 328 "
29%
"

SECOND PERIOD..
LOT I, ENSILAGE. LOT II, RYE.

O

O~

V4 A-4
*l cO.O

a

C

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Mch. 1 2

13'2

12 12 12 11%4 1M~ 12%4 1314 12%4
1212

12%4 1 i%1 10%4
912

26%4 2214
21%2 211/
23%2

134
1%
i112

934

2414

1214 1 1%3
12?-/ 1312 17514

11 1!%' 11 11%4 11%4 10j4

24%4 23%4 24 2414 23
2414

10%4 10 10 2 11 l0 4 11~4 12 11~4
1214

14%4
1532
16

25
25% 2(12

1634 1634
1714

274 27 29
29'2

12 12 11 4 12Y2 12
](1/'2

17%~ 1834 18 18'2 1734
1712

30 3014
30%2

29~
2914 31%2

19 1834
2414

30%4
40214_

1.54%4 330 Total yield of Lot I Total yield of Lot II Balance in favor of Rye

330 pounds. ... 402%4
7214%

The following is a summary of the important points in the above tables :
DURING THE FIRST PERIOD.

Lot 1, fed on rye yielded 3574 lbs. milk. Lot 2, fed on ensilage yielded 328 lbs. milk. Balance in favor of rye 294 lbs. milk.
DURING THE SECOND PERIOD.

Lot 1, fed on ensilage yielded 330 lbs. milk. Lot 2, fed on rye yielded 4 0 294 Balance in favor of rye 724

4 6

Lot 1, fed on rye, first period yielded 357[ lbs. milk. Lot 1, fed on ensilage 2d period yielded 330" Balance in favor of rye 27 bs. milk. Lot 2, fed on ensilage, first period yielded 328 lbs. milk. Lot 2, fed on rye second period yielded 402Balance in favor of rye 744. The above experiments simply show the effect of rye and ensilage on the flow of milk. The effect of these feeds on the yield and quality of butter remain to be determined by future experiments. Those farmers who are thinking of building silos had best bear in mind the following points: 1st. Corn cured as ensilage has no more feeding value, than an equivalent quantity cured as dry fodder. 2d. In order to make good ensilage it is necessary to have a good silo, a good ensilage cutter, and steam power. 3d. Green rye can be raised at the rate of ten tons per acre. In the winter of 1889-'90 rye sown in drills two feet apart on this station was cut four times between October 30th and February 27th, and yielded 21,392.50 per acre. The yield will of course vary some with the severity of the winters. In order to make good ensilage some capital is necessary. Rye for winter use requires only time, a liberal use of manure, and some labor. Yery few farmers can even think of making ensilage; but every man can afford to have a rye patch. It is expected to continue the experiment on rye and ensilage next winter.