DAIRY FARMING DAIRYING. 683 



'•In the 32 testa of actual feeding practice the average ration per cow per day 

 supplied Ironi 1.15 to 2.70 lbs., averaging 2 lbs. of digestible protein; while the 

 range of fuel values was from 21,150 to 35,150, averaging 28,250 calories. The nutri- 

 tive ratios of these rations ranged from 1 : 4.5 to 1 : 11.3, averaging 1 : 7.0. . . . 



"The advantage of rations with liberal quantities of protein is quite clearly shown 

 when the herds are divided into two groups according to the amounts of protein in 

 the rations fed. The group composed of those herds receiving 2 lbs. or less of digest- 

 ible protein per cow per day produced on the average 16.3 lbs. of milk and 0.87 lb. of 

 butter per day, while the group receiving more than 2 lbs. of digestible protein per 

 cow per day averaged 18.7 lbs. of milk and 1.05 lbs. of butter. This means that the 

 herds which were fed the larger quantities of protein produced on the average 15 

 per cent more milk and 20 per cent more butter per cow than those fed the smaller 

 quantities of protein. . . . 



" It is impracticable to compare accurately the costs of the rations fed throughout 

 these 32 tests, but the general results of our experiments indicate that the rations 

 with relatively large proportions of protein are cheaper thau those containing 

 relatively smaller quantities. ... 



" Our studies tend to point more and more to the conclusion that rations should 

 be compounded in accordance with the milk flow rather than in accordance with the 

 live weight of the animals. If the milk flow is uniform, the feed need not vary much 

 for variations of 100 to 200 lbs. live weight, but with an increase in the milk flow the 

 size of the ration should be larger, and especially the protein should be increased 

 both in total quantity and relatively, in order to meet the increased demands on the 

 system of the animal.'' 



Nitrogenous feeding stuffs, and feeding formulas for dairy 

 cows, VV. O. Atwater and C. S. Phelps (Connecticut Morns Sta. 

 L'pt. 1897, pp. 67-129). — This is quite a general article discussing the 

 food supply of the farm, composition and digestibility of feeding stuffs, 

 energy required for digestion, food requirements of the animal organ- 

 ism, manurial value of nitrogenous feeding stuffs, influence of food 

 upon the composition of cows' milk, with a summary of experiments 

 on this point made by different stations, and feeding standards or 

 formulas. 



The conclusion from the experiments summarized on the effect of 

 food on milk is that — 



"Liberal amounts of protein and narrow rations tend to increase the tlow of milk 

 and to lessen the natural shrinkage due to advanced period of lactation. 



"As to the intluence of nitrogenous feeding stuffs on the composition of milk, the 

 results of the majority of the experiments here reported indicate that the narrow 

 rations tended to increase the percentages of total solids and of fat in the milk to a 

 slight degree. A rise of from 0.2 to 0.6 in the average percentages of fat in milk in 

 favor of the narrow rations is seen in at least 4 of the experiments recorded. The 

 individuality of the cow, however, seemed to be an important factor. Wbile in tin- 

 ease of some cows a considerable change in the percentage of solids and of fat was 

 noticed, in other cases there seemed to be little or no change. 



"The percentages of fat in the total solids of the milk was larger in at least 4 of 

 the experiments where the narrow rations were fed — that is, the proportion of fat to 

 solids-not-fat seemed to be increased in these instances by the use of narrow rations. 



""With regard to the relative profit from the use of the narrow and the wide 

 rations, there seems to be a diversity of opinion, but the general verdict of the 

 experiments here recorded is in favor of the liberal use of nitrogenous feeding stuffs 

 from the standpoint of profit, especially in the Eastern States." 



