72 Bulletin 173. 



as is seen in table II. During the sixth week she was " off feed " 

 and her milk fell from 325 pounds during the fifth week to 232 

 pounds. At the same time her average per cent of fat was over 

 one per cent higher than during the week previous as well as dur- 

 ing the following week. This explains the high average of 3.98 

 per cent during the sixth week. She quickly regained nearly her 

 former flow and at the close of the experiment was averaging 42 

 pounds per day. 



In lot C, Jennie calved IN'ovember 8 and entered the experiment 

 the second week fresh in milk. Her coming into this lot increased 

 both the average yield of milk and the per cent of fat for the 

 second and succeeding weeks. During the twentieth week Clara, 

 of lot C, was taken suddenly ill with a high fever and died. Upon 

 examination she was found to have accumulations of fatty tissue in 

 close proximity to the vital organs. During the twenty-lirst week, 

 May, of lot C, was taken ill in a similar manner to Clara, but her 

 life was saved. It will be remembered that the cows in this lot 

 received a highly carbonaceous ration. The grain consisted of two 

 parts, by weight, of corn meal and one part of wheat bran, while 

 the silage was rich in corn and had been increased five pounds each 

 about a month before the cows became sick. It may be that so 

 highly carbonaceous a ration has a heating tendency upon the animal 

 body. If this be the case, feeding the ration for so long a period, 

 might, in its cumulative effects, result as disastrously as mentioned 

 above. Although Jennie 2d came through the experiment safely 

 on the same ration, still, when the effect upon Clara and May is 

 considered, we cannot help concluding that the ration is not a good 

 one for long, continuous feeding. 



To return to the study of the comparative effect of the three rations 

 upon the yield and quality of milk, the results show that there is 

 practically no difference between them so far as their effect on the 

 percentage of fat is concerned. In general there is a gradual increase 

 in the richness of the milk from the beginning of each experiment 

 until the end, regardless of the kind of food. An average of the per 

 cents of fat for periods of four weeks each will present the fact 

 more clearly, and such an average is given in tabular form below. 

 The first two weeks are omitted in striking the average in all cases. 



