172 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



By feeding a concentrated feeding stuff ricli in fat along with an unsuitable 

 coarse feeding stuff, such as hay which had been subjected to the effects of rain, 

 it was possible to increase the yield of milk fat up to or above that produced " 

 by normal hay supplemented by a concentrated feeding stuff' poor in fat, the 

 ration so composed having an average fat content. It is believed that this result 

 would prove of practical value if confirmed by experiments with cows. 



In confirmation of earlier results obtained by the author (E. S. R., 17, p. 70) 

 the experiments showed the importance for milch cows of the aromatic, stimulat- 

 ing, or condimental substances normally present in sufficient quantities in feed- 

 ing stuffs. AYhen deficient, however, as in weathered hay, they can best be sup- 

 plied l)y the addition of normal hay, or occasionally by seeds like fennel and 

 anise, rather than l»y the use of the commercial condimental stociv foods. 



On the influence of feeding cocoanut cake upon the composition of butter 

 fat with special reference to the Polenske number, M. Siegfeld (MilchiD. 

 ZentbL, 2 (1006), No. 7. pp. 289-295). — Tests made with 7 cows showed that 

 feeding cocoanut cake exerted no apparent influence upon the Reichert-MeissI 

 number but increased slightly the Polenske number and influenced to a much 

 more marked extent the saponification number, iodiu number, and the average 

 molecular weight of the nonvolatile fatty acids. 



First annual report of grade dairy herd, R. S. Shaw and A. C. Anderson 

 (Michigan Hta. Bui. 238, pp. 161-176, pi. 1. figs, -i).— In 190-f, the college pur- 

 chased a grade dairy herd of 20 cows and planned to breed 5 cows and their 

 female progeny to pure-bred Jersey bulls, 5 to Holstein, .5 to Guernsey, and 5 to 

 Shorthorn bulls. 



This bulletin is a report on the milk and butter production and the food con- 

 sumption of tills herd for the first year of the experiment. The average pro- 

 duction of the herd for the year was 6,258.9 lbs. of milk and 298.25 lbs. of 

 butter. Eliminating the poorest cow, which produced only 1,205 lbs. of milk 

 and 48 lbs. of butter, the remaining 19 cows averaged 6,525 lbs. of milk and 

 311.4 lbs. of butter. The average profit per cow over cost of feed was $36.58. 

 The poorest cow was kept at a loss of $9.88 and the best at a profit of $60.29. 

 An account of the feeding and management of the herd is given and illustra- 

 tions of 4 of the cows are included. 



Testing inuividual cows, II. A. Hopper (Illinois Sta. Circ. 102, pp. ^0). — This 

 circular, which emphasizes the importance of studying the i)roduction of indi- 

 vidual cows, contains records for one year of 18 dairy herds in Illinois, includ- 

 ing 221 cows. 



The average production was 5,616.99 lbs. of milk and 226.63 lbs. of butter fat. 

 The best herd averaged 350.17 lbs. of butter fat and the poorest 142.05 lbs. 

 The best 10 cows averaged 388.75 lbs. of butter fat and the poorest 10, 109.42 lbs. 

 It is believed that at least one-third of the cows in the ordinary herds are prac- 

 tically unprofitable. A marked improvement was observed in herds where grad- 

 ing had been practiced. It was found possible to remove 5 cows from a herd 

 of 10 and thereby increase the profit $7.62 per head. 



Butter tests with Shorthorn and Jersey cows, J. H. Burton (Jour. Bd. Agr. 

 [London], l.i (1906), Xo. >,. pp. 193-200). — Ten Jersey and Shorthorn cows 

 on an average were tested once or twice a month from November, 1900, to July, 

 1904, the total number of tests being 86. A test consisted in taking 50 lbs. of 

 the mixed milk of each breed, separating it, churning the cream after 2 days 

 and determining the amount of butter produced. 



On an average 1 lb. of butter was made from 27.92 lbs. of Shorthorn milk and 

 19.09 lbs. of Jersey milk. In these tests the Shorthorns produced 650 gal. of 

 milk and the Jerseys 500. The relative profits of the 2 breeds are discussed from 

 various standpoints. Uuder the local conditions of the experiments the Jerseys 



