88 



between melting point and actual hardness." Except where skim milk 

 was fed, no influence of the food on the volatile fatty acids can be 

 traced. "The iodine absorption of butter from gluten-meal rations is 

 greater than that of butter from cotton-seed or corn-mual rations, and 

 so far as tried the iodine-absorption number follows very closely the 

 hardness of butter." 



Effect of food on quantity of milk, G. H. Whitcher, B. 

 S. (pp. 10, 11). — These observations were made in connection with the 

 above comparison of the eflect of gluten meal and corn meal on the 

 butter fat. The nutritive ratio varied in the different rations from 1 :5.2 

 with gluten meal to 1:0 with a like amount of corn meal. The yield of 

 milk by 11 cows on the narrow and wide rations is tabulated. " In 

 almost every case with each of the 11 cows, a change from gluten to 

 corn meal, that is a change from a narrow to a wide nutritive ratio, 

 resulted in a decided falling otV in the product, while the reverse change 

 resulted in an e«iually decided increase." The author believes that for 

 milk production the nutritive ratio should not be much wider than 1 to 0. 



New Hampshire Station, Bulletin No. 14. May, 1891 (pp. 8). 



Silage in dairy farming, G. H. Whitcher, B. S. — This is an 

 argument in favor of the use of silage by dairy farmers in New Hamp- 

 shire. The advantages claimed for silage are these: (1) More food 

 material can be produced on an acre from corn than from any other of 

 our farm crops; (2) the cost of 100 jiounds of dry matter is slightly 

 less in corn than in hay; (3) green food is especially favorable to the 

 production of milk ; (4) silage is comparatively convenient and cheap. 

 The author believes that the silo makes the farrncM- indep«'ndent of the 

 weather. Late varieties of corn, which produce relatively large amounts 

 of food per acre, can be used for silage, though they would not mature 

 corn in the climate of New Hampshire. The early date at which the 

 silage crop is taken from the land makes it possible to use the same 

 land in grass or winter grain the same year. The cost of harvesting 

 silage corn can be made quite small. An instance is cited of an experi 

 ment in which silage was harvested and stored at a cost of 62 cents 

 per ton. For New Hampshire, Sanford corn is recommended as a good 

 variety for silage. Of this, the author thinks 14 to 15 quarts per acre 

 should be used for seed. At the prices for materials and labor in New 

 Hampshire, an independent silo can be built "for $1 per ton of capacity 

 if above 75 tons capacity." If the silo is built in the corner of a barn 

 and farm labor is employed in the construction, the expense can be 

 materially reduced. 



