The Question Box. 359 



What is the value of the proprietary cattle foods compared with gluten? 



Mr. Cook. — " Sixteen to one." Gluten is sixteen; tlie other not 

 more than one. The basis of all these prepared foods is linseed 

 meal, costing about |30 per ton. There is a little tonic and salt, 

 which cost but little, while the preparations are sold for about 

 |300 per ton to the man who is fool enough to buy them. 



Dr. Smead. — Mr. Cook's remarks apply fully as well to the con- 

 dition powders sold. They have a basis of linseed meal with 

 powderea gentian, saltpetre, ginger, charcoal and anise seed. The 

 cost of 100 pounds of the above mixture will be about |2.85, but 

 the man who comes along to " bless you,'' sells it for about 15 

 cents a pound, or $10 profit on 100 pounds of oil meal. 



Are we taught that a cow giviug six quarts of five per cent, milk would 

 make no more butter if she gave 12 quarts of milk? 



Mr. Smith. — You are not taught anything of the kind; but that 

 a cow in normal condition giving 5 per cent, fat cannot be made 

 to increase it; but as a cow increases in lactation she shrinks her 

 milk flow, so there would seem to be more fat in the milk. In 

 fact, there will be, but the water has been decreased, so that there 

 is not such a volume of it. 



Will bran produce as good quality of milk as will corn meal? Will 

 good strong heavy foods produce better milk than light ones? 



Mr. Cook. — Doubtless, the question refers to feeding butter fat 

 into milk. How manv of vou think it can be done? 



Four men voted. 



How many think it cannot be don6? 



Twenty hands went up. 



Mr. Cook. — Some of you voted twice, but the majority are right. 

 It cannot be done permanently. I have, however, changed the 

 per cent, of fat in milk by changing a ration, when the cow had 

 not been kept up to her normal condition. Perhaps a change of 

 rations might decrease the per cent, of fat. As a rule, the longer 

 a cow is in lactation, the richer will be her milk, but the flow will 

 be proportionately less. It is a decrease of water, not an increase 

 of fat. If corn meal is fed to excess, the chances are that there 



