126 THE VALUE OF FISH MEAL 



relish it. As will be noticed from the table of weekly returns, 

 the average of those getting herring meal and maize was 

 exactly 1 lb. of milk per day less than the others, which is more 

 than is accounted for by any little dislike that was shown to the 

 food, as it was practically speaking all eaten, and ought to have 

 given some return. The principal reason of this fall (heavy fall 

 I may call it) I expect to have been caused by the excessively 

 nitrogenous food previously given. This food being very 

 deficient in starch, the superfluous fat of the body would be 

 utilised to replace it, so that whenever a more starchy ration 

 was given to the animal, it might at once replace this fat before 

 producing extra milk. Whether that be the true reason or not 

 I cannot positively say, but certainly all the other circumstances 

 were favourable for a larger production of milk than happened. 

 I am confirmed in my surmises by the milk production of 

 the next two weeks, as the ninth week as much milk was 

 actually produced as there was the seventh ; whereas, judging 

 from those fed in the usual way, there ought to have been a 

 weekly fall of from 2 to 2 J lbs. per day, owing to climatic 

 circumstances. 



The eighth week the combination of herring meal and maize 

 meal began to exert itself, and to be seen in the increased floAv 

 of milk. It will be noticed that there is a daily increase of 

 h lb. of milk over that given by those fed in the usual way. 

 Although this is a considerable increase, not only over last 

 week's production, but over those fed in the ordinary way ; still 

 it is little on what was the production a fortnight previous, when 

 with 4 lbs. of herring meal alone daily the production was | lb. 

 more. From the beginning to the end of the experiment the 

 natural daily decrease has been about h lb. of milk per week, 

 so that, all other things being equal, where 4 lbs. of herring meal 

 during the sixth week produced 23'8 lbs. of milk daily, it should 

 under similar circumstances have produced about 21 '8 lbs. the 

 ninth week. This is, in fact, what was produced by those fed 

 on the ordinary food, so that although there is a rise this week 

 over those fed in the usual way, still the production is not 

 greater than one might have looked for. The only explanation 

 I can give is that advanced regarding the falling off during the 

 previous (seventh) week. 



The ninth week the rise in milk of those getting herring meal 

 and maize was very perceptible ; for, whereas those fed in the 

 ordinary way fell off about the usual, viz., ^q of a lb. instead of 

 ^ lb. ; the lot getting herring meal and maize not only fell off 

 none, but actually increased to what they had two weeks ago, or 

 a production of 1*4 lb. of milk per day over those fed in the 

 usual way. This rise clearly shows the advantages of a com- 

 bination of herring meal and maize over that of heniug meal 



