FOODS ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 749 



"The cows did not vary greatly in body weight, but their general appearance 

 showed less thrift while being fed the corn-meal ration. 



"The yield of milk from the nitrogenous ration was from one fifth to more than 

 one third larger than that from the corn-meal ration, the excess ranging with the 

 3 cows from 20 per cent to 36 per cent, or an average of about 5 lbs. of milk per day. 



"In general the milk was materially richer while the cows were fed the ration rich 

 in protein, though with one cow it showed the largest percentage of solids during 

 the third period while she was eating the corn-meal ration. With the other two 

 cows the influence of the mixture of cotton-seed meal, gluten meal, and corn meal in 

 increasing the per cent of solids of the milk seemed quite marked. 



"The daily yield of milk solids was from 30 to 40 per cent greater with the more 

 nitrogenous ration. 



" The composition of the milk solids seemed to be independent of the ration. In 

 general the proportion of fat increased throughout the experiment without regard to 

 what the cows were fed, and no evidence is furnished in support of the notion that by 

 changing the food it is possible to produce more butter fat without an accompanying 

 increased production of the other milk solids. In other words, it appears that the 

 most profitable food for butter production will also be most profitable for the milk 

 farmer or cheese maker. The relation of fat to the other solids seems to be deter- 

 mined by the animal or by certain unknown conditions of environment rather than 

 by the food. 



"So far as could be learned by chemical tests, the butter made from the 2 rations 

 was not greatly different." 



Dairy herd record for 1892, T. L. Haecker {Minnesota Sta. Ept. 

 1893, jpp. 313-324). — A record for the year of 27 cows, including Jer- 

 seys, Guernseys, Holsteins, Polled Anguses, Shorthorns, and grades. 

 This shows for each cow the date of calving, change in weight, 

 monthly yield and composition of milk, and monthly and yearly yields 

 of butter. 



"The fat for the entire herd ranged from an annual average of 3.34 to 6 per cent. 

 This marked difference is clearly a breed characteristic. . . . 



"While there is a general tendency for the milk to grow richer in fat as the period 

 of lactation advances, this change is not as great or as uniform as is generally sup- 

 posed. [The individual records for January, March, June, and July show that] in 

 January the daily average in milk of the 17 cows amounted to 423 lbs. ; in March it 

 shrunk to 354.3 lbs.; while in June, when the cows were in pasture, it increased to 

 375 lbs., and in July, when pastures began to be dry, there was again a shrink- 

 age to 301.6 lbs., showing that the succulent food in June materially increased the 

 flow of milk. In January the average per cent of fat in the milk was 4.55, in March 

 it rose to 4.95, and in June it dropped to 4.49; that is, after the expiration of 6 

 mouths the average per cent of fat was less by 0.06 per cent, showing that feed 

 exercised a greater influence in the per cent of fat than did the advanced period of lac- 

 tation. The fact that the per cent of fat in July, when the Kentucky blue grass, of 

 which the pasture was composed, was dry, rose to 4.81, gives additional evidence 

 that the variation in the fat was largely due to feed influences. 



" [The butter fat record] shows a gradual decrease in the amount of fat, as the 

 period of lactation advances, and also shows that this shrinkage takes place very 

 slowly and gradually when cows are of the proper dairy breeding type. , . . 



" Comparing the annual butter yield with the live weight, the registered Jersey, 

 Pride, is in the lead, making 0.46 lb. of butter for every pound of live weight, 

 followed by the grade Jersey, Marie, with 0.44; the grade Guernsey, Olive, 0.44; 

 the grade Jersey, Beckley, with 0.43 ; then Sweet Briar, Koae, aaid Eoesie, 0.40 lb. 



