FOODS — ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 



927 



The changes noted in the observations previously reported are sum- 

 marized. 



"The evidence appears overwhelming that cows on early pasturage — May and 

 June — make not only more but richer milk than daring the last months of their 

 barn life." 



Whale flesh meal as a food for milch cows, J. Sebelien {Aas, 

 Norway: 1894, pp. 33). — A feeding experiment with 20 cows was con- 

 ducted at Aas Agricultural College to trace the effect of whale flesh 

 meal on milk and butter production. The experiment included 3 main 

 periods, (1) the preparatory period, lasting 32 days; (2) the experi- 

 mental period proper, lasting 50 days ; and (3) the post-experimental 

 period, lasting 20 days. The cows were separated into 2 even lots of 10 

 each. During the first and third periods both lots were fed a basal 

 ration of 80 kg. of turnips, 90 kg. of cut straw, 40 kg. of hay, 10 kg. 

 each of rape-seed meal, linseed meal, and malt sprouts. Lot A 

 received this ration during the second period also, the quantities fed 

 being somewhat changed; but lot B received 0.5 kg. of flesh meal per 

 head per day during the first 20 days of the second period in addition 

 to the ration in the first period, and later from J to 1^ kg. of the con- 

 centrated feed in the ration was replaced by a like quantity of flesh 

 meal. The following table gives the average results obtained: 



Average daily production of milk and fat per cow. 



Lot A, same feed throughout. 



Yield of Fat con- Yield of 

 milk. teut. fat. 



Lot B, whale flesh meal dtir- 

 ing period 2. 



Yield of Fat con- Yield of 

 milk. tent. fat. 



First period ., 

 Second period 

 Third period.. 



Pounds. 



20.08 

 17.77 

 15.67 



Per cent. 

 3.35 

 3.40 

 3.57 



Pounds. 



0.674 



.604 



.560 



Pounds. 

 20.13 

 17.97 

 15.94 



Per cent. 

 3.51 

 3.67 

 3.64 



Pounds. 



0.705 



.658 



.580 



It would appear that the feeding of flesh meal increased the produc- 

 tion of milk and slightly improved its quality. The author concludes 

 that this result will be obtained whether the flesh meal be fed in addi- 

 tion to an ordinary fairly rich ration, or in partial substitution of the 

 vegetable concentrated feeds in the same. If the ration is rather scant 

 and of a narrow nutritive ratio, the addition or substitution of whale 

 flesh meal will produce no increase in the yield of fat, since the milk 

 under such conditions seems to grow thinner, even if the milk yield is 

 increased. 



The average live weights of the 2 lots of cows remained nearly 

 unchanged throughout the experiment. 



Neither the quality nor the flavor of the butter was apparently 

 affected by feeding as much as 3.3 lbs. of flesh meal per head per day. 

 In a record given of the experience of practical farmers in feeding flesh 

 meal to milch cows, it is stated, however, in one instance that while 



