STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 239 



or 100 to 594, with such modifications as suggest themselves by 

 appearances. 



" Though many discussions have taken place on the fattening 

 of cattle, the not less important branch of dairy treatment has hith- 

 erto been comparatively neglected. I therefore venture to call atten- 

 tion to considerations which have risen from observations in mv own 

 practice, affecting the chemistry and physiology, or, in other words, 

 the science of feeding. That 1 am seeking aid from its guidance, will 

 be apparent, and I have no hesitation in admitting, that beyond the 

 satislaction from the better understanding of my business, I have 

 latterly derived more benefit or profit from examination of the 

 chemical composition of materials of food than from the treatment 

 or feeding experiments of others which have come under my 

 notice. So persuaded am I of the advantage of this, that I do 



• not feel satisfied to continue the use of any material with the com- 

 position of which I am not acquainted, without resorting to the 

 Society's Laboratory for an analysis. 



" To one leading feature of my practice I attach the greatest 

 imjportance — the maintenance of the condition of my cows, giving a 

 large yield of milk. 1 am enabled, by the addition of bean meal in 

 proportion to the greater yield of milk, to avert the loss of con- 

 dition in those giving from 16 to 18 quarts per day; whilst on 

 those giving a less yield and in health, I invariably efiect an 

 improvement. 



" When we take into consideration the disposition of a cow to 

 apply her food rather to her milk than to her maintenance and 

 improvement, it seems fair to infer that the milk of a cuw gain- 

 ing fiesh will not be deficient either in casein or ])utter. I have 

 already alluded to the efficiency of bean meal in increasing the 

 quantity of butter; I learn also, from observant dairymen whu 

 milk their own cows and carry their butter to market, that their 

 baskets are never so well filled as when their cc»ws feed on green 

 clover, which, as dry material, is nearly as rich in albumen as 

 beans. I am also told by those who have used green rape 

 plant, that it produces milk rich in butter. Frojii this we may 

 infer that albuminous matter is the most essential element in the 

 food of the milch cow, and that any deficiency in the sup]»ly (»f 

 this will be attended with loss of condition, and a consequent 



, diminution in the quality of her milk. 



