158 



BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



experiments on the influence of fodder upon the composition of 

 milk must be carried on for a long time in order to give reliable 

 results. The fodder, undoul)tedl3-, has an influence, more or less 

 marked, upon the qualitj' of milk, which can hardly- be revealed b}"^ 

 analysis. It is well known that butter is often affected by the kind 

 of fodder the cows have had, varying greatly in taste and color. 

 When poor fodder is fed to cows the milk is generally less rich in 

 solids than when the fodder is of proper composition and given in 

 sufficient quantity. Individual idiosyncracies undoubtedly have 

 considerable to do in the production of milk of different qualities, 

 though the fodder be the same in each case. 



It is well known that certain plants containing volatile principles 

 or oils of strong odor are very injurious to the quality of milk. 

 Some plants, such as madder, impart a color to it. The production 

 of milk ma3'^ be greatly hindered if the fodder does not contain a 

 sufficient quantity of phosphoric acid, lime and potash. In experi- 

 ments made at Proskau, upon goats fed with fodder poor in these 

 elements, the flow of milk rapidly ceased and the animals experi- 

 mented upon lived onlv fifty days. 



The daily ration of a milch cow should contain at least 0.045 kilo- 

 . grammes (GI)7 grains) of phosphoric acid, 0. 065 kilogrammes (1012 

 grains) of lime, and 0.117 kilogrammes (1813 grains) of potash. 

 This last substance is generally found in large enough quantities in 

 fodder. Ordinary' fodder generally contains large enough quantities 

 of the other necessary mineral substances, but when husks, chaflT, 

 straw of cereals, and some roots form the basis of alimentation, it 

 may be necessary to add lime as powdered chalk, and perhaps even 

 phosphoric acid as phosphate of lime, for example. 



Table showing the per centage of as/i, phosphoric acid, alkalies and 

 lime, contained in some of the most common fodders {dried). 



Kind op Fodder. 



Wheat bran 



Rape seed cake . . . .< 



Hay... 



Luceni hay 



Clover hay 



Green iuddor corn. 



Beets 



Carrots 



Potatoes 



Wheat straw 



Barley straw 



Oat straw 



Alkalies. 



1.676 

 l.(i75 

 1 803 

 1.9«7 

 2.335 

 2.421 

 4.503 

 3.197 

 2.375 

 1.565 

 1.295 

 1.176 



Lime. 



0.194 

 0.799 

 1.007 

 3.146 

 2.406 

 0.807 

 0.256 

 0.637 

 0.097 

 1.851 

 0.373 

 0.416 



