FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 



177 



true. I am not attempting to defend the practice of persons ulio allow their 

 COAVS to weather the storms of winter and draw their rations from the straw- 

 stack. A half-starved cow will give half-starved milk, — milk in which cream 

 is conspicuous from its absence, and. water for its abundance. Dairymen 

 know very well that to get good milk in the pail they must put an abundance 

 of good food into the mouth. But these experiments do show that we can by 

 feeding increase the richness of niilk up to a certain point and no further. If 

 a large amount of rich food is given, a part of it goes to increase the number 

 of quarts of milk, and the rest to the increase of fat in the animal. So that 

 it is doubtful whether it will pay to feed milch cows very freely of extra rich 

 food, such as corn meal, bean meal, oil-cake, etc., in addition to plenty of 

 nutritious food. 



The last cause affecting the quality of milk to which I invite your attention, 

 is the Jcind of breed. Let us look at the composition of milk of different breeds 

 of cattle. 



About a year ago, a series of experiments was undertaken at the College, to 

 determine the relative value of the various breeds of cattle for dairy purposes. 

 I analyzed the milks of cows on the College farm, and •' Natives" of farmers 

 living near. By "Natives" are meant those iu which no distinct breed is ap- 

 parent. Samples of milk were taken two weeks from time of saving first milk, 

 as nearly as vyas possible. The following are the average results : 



NAME oy BREED. 



Shorthorn 

 Ayrshire . 

 Jersey ... 

 Galloway 

 Native... 



Casein, 

 Per Cent. 



4.81 

 5.74 

 4.96 

 5.36 

 5.57 



Ash, 

 Per Cent. 



.70 

 .70 

 .70 

 .67 

 .64 



Fat, 

 Per Cent. 



2.67 

 3.70 

 4.25 

 2.74 

 3.10 



Water, 

 Per Cent. 



S7.79 

 86,11 



85.88 

 87.43 

 86.99 



This table is of especial value because the cows were kept upon much the 

 same kind of food, and the milk Avas analyzed after they had been in milk the 

 same length of time. But the number of analysis was somewhat limited, and 

 the milk of some breeds I could not get. I have compiled, f I'om every source 

 at my command, analyses of milk, and taken the average of each breed. The 

 cows were not all under the same conditions, such as food and climate, and 

 therefore their milk cannot be compared with as much certainty as if tliey had 

 been under the same conditions. But if the milk of any breed is inclined to be 

 especially rich, it should be apparent in spite of these variations. 



The following gives the result of analyses of the milk of various breeds of 

 cows : 



NAME OF BREED. 



Short-Horn 

 Ayrsliire... 



Jersey 



Holstein ... 

 Galloway . 



Devon 



Grade 



Native 



Ash, 

 Per Cent. 



.68 



.70 

 .71 

 .61 

 .67 

 .81 

 .79 

 .71 



