STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 241 



stearine or margerine, closely resembling or identical with the 

 margerine in plants ; whilst butter is composed of olein and mar- 

 gerine, combining both the proximate elements found in vege- 

 table oils. 



"It seems worthy of remark that a cow can yield a far greater 

 weight of butter than she can store up in solid fat. Numerous 

 instances occur where a cow gives ofif 2 lbs. of butter per day, or 

 14 lbs. per week, whilst half that quantity will probably rarely 

 be laid on in fat. If you allow a cow to gain 16 lbs. per week 

 and reckon 7 for fat, there will only remain 9 lbs. for flesh, or, 

 deducting the moisture, scarcely 3 lbs. (2.97) per week, equal to 

 42, or less than half a pound per day, of dry fibrine. The 

 analyses of butter show a varying proportion of olein and mar- 

 gerine fats : Summer butter usually contains of olein 60 and 

 margerine 40 per cent., whilst in winter butter these proportions 

 are reversed, being 40 of olein and 60 of margerine. By ordi- 

 nary treatment the quantity of butter during winter is markedly 

 inferior. The common materials for dairy cows in winter are 

 straw, with turnips or mangel, hay alone, or hay with mangel. 

 If we examine these materials, we find them deficient in oil, or 

 in starch, sugar, &c. If a cow consumes 2 stones or 28 lbs. of 

 hay a day, which is probably more than she can be induced to 

 eat on an average, it will be equal in dry material to more than 

 100 lbs. of young grass, which will also satisfy a cow. That 100 

 lbs. young grass will yield more butter will scarcely admit of a 

 doubt. The 28 lbs. of hay will be equal in albuminous matter 

 and in oil to tlie 100 lbs. of grass, but in the elements of starch, 

 sugar, &c., there is a marked difference. During the growth of 

 the plant, the starch and sugar are converted into woody fibre, in 

 which form they are scarcely digestible or available for res])ira- 

 tion. It seems, then, n(jt improbable that, when a cow is supplied 

 with hay only, she will consume some portion of the olein oil fcxr 

 respiration, and yield a less quantity of butter, poorer in olein. 



If you assume butter to contain of olein, 60 per cent. 



" " " " " margerine, 40 " 



100 " 

 If the cow consume of the olein, . _ _ . 36 " 



The quantity of butter will be reduced from 100 to,. 64 " 

 [Ag. Trans.J P 



