56 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



ated the whole tissue of the animal ? I have tasted turnips 

 very strong in beefsteak after the cow had been fed on tur- 

 nips. I have also tasted linseed-meal. Whj^ not taste cab- 

 bage in the same way. if the gas permeates every part of the 

 animal ? 



Dr. BowEX. I think you can. The gas will permeate all 

 the muscular tissues. But there is a constant escape of the 

 gas from the system, w^hich is carried off in the breath. 



Mr. Whitakee. Did you ever get sweet milk from a 

 cow whose breath was not sweet ? that is, if you could dis- 

 cover any disagreeable smell about the cow's breath. 



Dr. BoTVEX. I think not. I think it will taint the milk. 

 I think milk is the most susceptible of taint of any substance, 

 whether it is in the cow or out of the cow. 



Mr. Shaw. Would it make any difference whether the 

 cow was fed on cabbage before milking, or not ? 



Dr. BowEN. If fed immediately before, I do not believe 

 it would. 



Mr. Shavp". Say within an hour previous ? 



Dr. BoWEX. If she commenced to chew her cud, she might 

 bring up a portion of the cabbage : but, as a general thing, it 

 will not come up until it is softened. 



Mr. Whitaker. Dr. Wakefield asked a question about 

 what food would make the most milk. I believe that was 

 without reference to quality. I will tell him what I think 

 would do it : a bushel of brewer's grain, all the salt hay the 

 cow would eat, and all the water she would drink after it. 



Mr. Had WENT. . I do not raise cabbage to sell, as a rule. 

 I sell a few, when prices are high ; but I have no hesitation in 

 advising every farmer who is making milk to raise what cab- 

 bage he may want to feed fi-om the middle of November to 

 the first of Januar}-. 



In relation to feeding, it is safer to feed cabbage immedi- 

 ately after milking than to feed it before. Something may 

 call you away from milking a cow ; or, if you have a large 

 number of cows, it takes a little longer to go through the 

 process than you are aware of ; and, as far as my own observa- 

 tion has gone, any thing that has flavor goes immediately into 

 the circulation. ^ly father tells of an incident which came 

 under his own observation, where a steer that was being 

 driven to the slaughter-house passed through an onion-bed, 



