674 EXPERIMENT STATION RECOED. 



Feeding: experiments with dairy cows, A. Fluckigeb and K. Indeemuhle 

 (Jahresber. Landw. kichule Riitti, 1912-1914, PP- 105-111). — In experiments to 

 determine the amount of grain to feed cows yielding various amounts of milli 

 it was concluded tliat cows giving ]5 lig. of milk daily should receive 2 kg. of 

 grain mixture per head per day ; cows giving 12 kg. of milk, 1.5 kg. of grain ; 

 and cows giving 10 kg. of milk, 1 kg. of grain. Cows giving more than 15 kg. 

 of milk demand a correspondingly richer feed. 



The effect of palm-oil cakes upon milk production in cows, J. Hansen 

 {Landw. Jahrb., ^7 (1914), No. 1, pp. 1-10). — The author concludes from a 

 critical review of the experiments made by other workers and from the results 

 of his own experiments that palm-oil cake does not affect the milk yield, but 

 increases its fat content. This specific action increases with the increase of 

 the amount of cake in the ration and with the quantity of fat in the palm- 

 oil cake itself. In order to obtain a perceptible specific effect, at least from 

 2.5 to 3 lbs. per 1,000 lbs. of live weight should be used if the cake is somewhat 

 deficient in fats, or 2 lbs. per 1,000 lbs. live weight if it is rich in fats. 



The effect of the palm-oil cake varies with the individual cows, but is In 

 every case perceptible when the cake is fed in sufficient quantities. Neither 

 the milk yield nor the period of lactation, when the palm-oil cake is introduced 

 into the rations, seems to have any influence upon its action. It is thought that 

 an increase of from to 0.14 per cent in the fat content of the milk is small ; 

 from 0.14 to 0.2 per cent, average ; and above 0.2 per cent, large. 



The influence of sugar beet feeding on the composition of the milk fats, 

 J. BoEs and H. V\'^eyland (Ztschr. Untersuch. Nahr. u. Geiiiissmtl., 29 (1915), 

 No. 12, pp. Ji.13-.li.15). — A r$sum§ of investigations on this subject. In general 

 there is an increase in the Reichert-Meissl, Polenske, and saponification num- 

 bers, a lowering of th€ ash content, and an increase in the volatile soluble and 

 insoluble fatty a w te 9l the milk fat with the feeding of sugar beets to cows. 



Grass palatability tcets, E. Breakwell {Agr. Gaz. N. 8. Wales, 26 (1915), 

 No. 6, pp. 4S5, 486). — In feeding trials with Jersey cows, in which records were 

 kept of the time taken to consume a given amount of the different grasses, it 

 was found that prairie, Paspalum, and Hungarian brome grasses were easily 

 the most palatable species in the young stages, and Paspalum and Hungarian 

 brome grass in the seediai; stages. Contrary to expectations, the Paspalum was 

 eaten very readily, even in its mature stages. In both cases Rhodes grass 

 was only eaten on compulsion. The native grasses were disregarded in favor 

 of the cultivated. This happened at both stages of gi'owth. 



The results of the experiments are deemed only suggestive, as it is thought 

 that several factors, such as the chemical and physical texture of the soils, 

 climatic conditions, and individual variation among the animals, must be 

 taken into account as affecting the palatability of grasses. 



The reaction and calcium content of milk as factors in the coagulation 

 process, T. H. Milroy (Biochem. Jour., 9 (1915), No. 2, pp. 215-22S) .—The 

 author concludes from his studies that " during the course of rennin action 

 there is no change in the hydrogen ion concentration of milk, either in the 

 earlier stage or in the actual separation of the clot. The addition of an 

 alkaline oxalate to milk lowers, while that of CaCh raises, the hydrogen ion 

 concentration. Fresh milk which has been subjected to a temperature slightly 

 below boiling point for one hour shows a rise in the hydrogen ion concentration, 

 and a fall in the calcium content. Such milk is only very slowly acted upon by 

 rennin. 



" The coagulability of heated milk may be raised either by the addition of 

 CaCl» or by raising the hydrogen ion concentration. The former does not 



