684 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



very poor in fat was fed at first, supplemented later by palm cake and 

 cocoaimt cake in separate periods, and later by an especially ricb cocoa- 

 nut cake containing 30.24 per cent of fat. Following this the cows were 

 changed to the ration poor in fat. The results were as follows: 



Fat in food and in the milk. 



Period. 



Fat in 

 the food. 



Ration poor in fat 



Palm-cake ration 



Ration poor in fat 



Cocoanut-cake ration 



Coeoanut-cake ration (very rich in fat) 

 Ration poor in fat 



Kg. 



0.297 

 .437 

 .297 

 .747 



1.70G 

 .297 



Fat con- 

 tent of 

 milk. 



Per cent. 

 3. 21 

 3.52 

 3.20 

 3.48 

 4.00 

 3.23 



The author believes that the fat content of the milk was materially 

 influenced by the amount of fat in the rations, but states that with the 

 increase in the fat content the yield of milk was unfavorably affected. 

 The yields in the different periods are not given in full, but it is stated 

 that the average yield on the first cocoanut-cake ration was 14.65 kg. 

 of milk, with an average fat content of 3.48 per cent, and that in the 

 following period, when the richer cocoanut cake was fed, the yield sank 

 to 12.42 kg., with an average fat content of 4 per cent. There was no 

 advantage from feeding the richer ration, as the increase in fat content 

 was not sufficient to overcome the decrease in yield. The rations rich 

 in fat had a marked effect on the increase in live weight of the cows. 



Experiments in milking twice and four times daily, Backhaus 

 (Konigsberger Land- u. Forstw. Ztg.; abs. in Milch Ztg. ^ 26 (1897), No. 41, 

 p. 654). — A short experiment is reported with S cows, the results of 

 which are summarized below. 



Comparison of milking twice and four times a day. 



Cows milked twice a day (.Tune 21-24) 



Cows milked 4 times a day (June 28-31) 



Percentage increase from milking 4 times a day. . . 



Total yield of 8 cows 



Fit 



Milk 



524. 60 



57G. 70 



9.93 



17.04 

 17.95 

 5.34 



Solids- 

 not-fat. 



45.47 



49. 57 



9.01 



Average composi- 

 tion of milk. 



Fat. 



Per cent. 



3.25 

 3.11 



Solids- 

 not-fat. 



Per cent. 



8.67 

 8.60 



Mi Iking 4 times a day gave a larger yield of both milk and fat than 

 milking twice a day. Contrary to the usual rule, milking 4 times a day 

 gave the poorer milk. To test this further the experiment with milk- 

 ing 4 times a day was continued, the cows receiving a richer ration. 

 On an average the 8 cows showed an increase of 5.30 per cent in the 

 yield of fat, but only 0.44 per cent increase in the yield of milk and 

 0.05 per cent in the yield of solids not- fat over milking twice a day. 

 It was found further that when the time between milkings was divided 

 equally the milk did not have the same composition, the milk being 



