These figures show that while the Jerseys may not be compared favorably with some other breeds for beef production, they are not, as too many breeders of beef cattle frequently claim, worthless for feeding. In this connection please refer to a note giving dressed weight of carcass of animals of different breeds on page 9.

The following tables will give the food consumed and gains made of individual animals, as well as of lots:

TABLE I.-Showing by Periods of One Month the Results of Feeding.

LIVE AND DRESSED WEIGHT OF CATTLE.

As a matter of some interest to cattle breeders I give herewith the live and dressed weight respectively of four animals of different breeds:

Snow Bloom, cross bred Galloway and Short-Horn weighed, April 23d, 1,600 pounds; dressed weight, 925 pounds.

Ayrshire steer, Philip, live weight 1,130 pounds; dressed weight, 690 pounds.

Jersey bull, Roscoe, live weight, 1,370 pounds; dressed weight, 758 pounds. Ayrshire heifer, live weight, S80 pounds; dressed weight, 432 pounds.

PIG FEEDING EXPERIMENTS.

The object of this experiment was to determine the value of cooked meal with uncooked. The results given, while at variance with the opinions held by many farmers seemed to indicate that the cooking did not pay. The weather was extremely cold during the five months feeding, and it would seem that cooked food, if ever, should show good returns. Both lots were hearty and vigorous during the entire period of feeding. The Essex became so fat that they were killed at the completion of the fourth month. The Poland China were fed one month longer. Lot 1 on cooked meal and Lot 2 shelled corn in place of uncooked meal with following results:

NOTES ON FEEDING PIGS.

Two lots were selected, each lot consisting of two Poland Chinas and one Essex. Pigs taken were of same age and same breeding.

Lot 1 was fed meal, consisting of corn and oats ground in proportion of two parts of corn to one of oats. The meal was placed in a pail, boiling water poured over it, and allowed to stand from 8 to 12 hours. The pail was covered to prevent steam escaping.

Lot 2 was fed under the same conditions, only cold water instead of hot was used, in mixing the meal. The animals were fed at 8.30 in the morning and at 4 in the afternoon; they were given all they would consume.

The Essex fattened more rapidly than the Poland Chinas as is seen in the table. The Poland Chinas made more growth than the Essex. The first month both lots were fed equal amounts of meal, with a gain in second lot of 14 pounds over that of first lot. Second month each lot was fed all they would consume, with a gain of 16 pounds in second lot over that of first lot. Third month second lot made 4 pounds gain over first lot.

It seems from this test that the same amount of meal will go farther as a ration, when cooked, than it will when raw; but whether it will produce a larger gain in young animals is questionable.

Tables III and IV give results.

TABLE III.-Showing by Periods of one Month Results of Feeding Pigs.

The sheep were fed with clover hay cut one inch long. The same kind of hay and in same condition, was fed in every case.

The sheep were fed twice each day, at 6.30 in the morning and at 4.30 in the afternoon. Effort was made to feed just what they would eat clean; if any was left in the manger it was removed and weighed.

The first month shows a loss in both lots; but this is not strange, for the animals were just taken from the pasture, and they would naturally shrink a little. The marked loss in lot 2 was principally due to one sheep, which did not feed well the greater part of the month.

The second month there was a gain of 1.2 pounds per head. Although the Southdowns were 245 pounds heavier in the aggregate than the Merinos, they did not consume more food.

From the table we can compute the amount of hay required to keep a sheep during the winter months, under ordinary circumstances. No extra pains were taken with these lots for it was intended to care for them as farmers ordinarily care for sheep.

One fact should be noticed here, that the hay was cut, and that none of it was wasted. Where sheep are fed coarse fodder, much is wasted if extra care is not taken. It is by no means improbable that the cutting of hay for sheep may be found profitable.

*This lot of ten Merino sheep were fed thirteen days, when accidentally they got in an adjoining pen with others, so that we were unable to identify them, and prevented the continuance of the feeding two months, as we had planned.

In concluding this report of the feeding experiments of '84 and '85 I desire to acknowledge the fidelity and efficient work of my assistant, Mr. H. T. French, class of '85.

We hope to enlarge our operations in this experimental work, of the feeding of animals of the different breeds, and bespeak the suggestions and coöperation of the farmers of our State in this work.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

SAM'L JOHNSON,

Professor of Agriculture.

Agricultural College, Lansing, Mich., May 25, 1885.

BULLETIN NO. 5.-BOTANICAL DEPARTMENT.

THE VITALITY OF SEEDS BURIED IN THE SOIL.

In autumn of 1879, nearly six years ago, I began the following experiments with the view of learning something more in regard to the length of time the seeds of some of our most common plants would remain dormant in the soil and yet germinate when exposed to favorable conditions.

I selected fifty freshly grown seeds of each of twenty-three different kinds of plants. Twenty such lots were prepared with the view of testing them at different times in the future. Each lot or set of seeds was well mixed in moderately moist sand, just as it was taken from three feet below the surface, where the land had never been plowed. The seeds of each set were well mixed with the sand and placed in a pint bottle, the bottle being filled and left uncorked and placed with the mouth slanting downward so that water could not accumulate about the seeds. These bottles were buried on a sandy knoll in a row running east and west, and placed fifteen paces northwest from the west end of the big stone set up by the class of 1873. A boulder stone was set at each end of the row of bottles, which were buried about twenty inches below the surface of the ground. I should make an exception in the case of the acorns, which were placed in the soil near the bottles and not inside bottles.

On the 25th of July, 1884, I took up one of these bottles and began testing the contents. I might say, that after three years, I dug down to the acorns and found them all decayed. The other seeds were not disturbed at that time. The sand was kept moist by being placed in some shallow porous saucers, which