766 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



best results with fresh morning's mills, rennet at the rate of 3.6 cc. to 30 lbs. 

 of milk, a starter (acidity 0.7 to 0.8) at the rate of 9 to 10 cc. to 30 lbs, of 

 milli, a renneting temperature of the milk of 86° F., and a room temperature of 

 65 to 68°. Some cheeses were tried without starter but were unreliable. The 

 cheeses stand heat better when the percentage of moisture in the atmosphere is 

 low. In those which are set with starter the room temperature may be some- 

 what raised or lowered without injuring the products, though this variation is 

 not desirable. Cheeses invaded by liquefying organisms may frequently be 

 saved by exaggerated salting, but this depreciates the product considerably. 



Prickly pears as a feed for dairy cows, T. E. Woodward, W. F. Turner, and 

 D. Griffiths {U. 8. Dept. Agr., Jour. Agr. Research, 4 (1915), No. 5, pp. 405- 

 450, pis. S, fig. 1). — In these experiments, conducted by the Dairy Division in 

 cooperation with the OfRce of Farm Management of this Deparement at the 

 South Texas Gardens, Brownsville, Tex., prickly pear was compared in feeding 

 value with sorghum hay, sorghum silage, and cotton-seed hulls. 



The grain mixture consisted of equal parts by weight of corn chop, wheat 

 bran, and cotton-seed meal; the hay was sorghum hay of average quality, and 

 the prickly pear was a very spiny two-years' growth. The prickly pear was 

 singed in the field with a gasoline torch, then cut ofE near the ground, and 

 hauled to the cow lot. After being placed in the mangers, the heavier stems 

 were chopped into small pieces with a sharp spade or hoe. The average analysis 

 of the prickly pear fed in these experiments was as follows: Water 91.3 per 

 cent, protein 0.58, albuminoid protein 0.29, ether extract 0.12, nitrogen-free ex- 

 tract 4.67, crude fiber 1.16, and ash 1.76. 



Prickly pear was found to be a very palatable feed for dairy cows, even when 

 it formed the major part of the roughage ration, and 100 to 150 lbs. were con- 

 sumed per cow per day. The prickly pear ration caused an increase in the 

 quantity of milk produced, a decrease in the percentage of fat in the milk, and 

 a decrease in the total production of fat. The reduction in the percentage of 

 fat became more pronounced as the quantity of prickly pears in the ration 

 increased. 



Assuming prickly pear to have 10 per cent, sorghum hay 80, sorghum silage 

 25, and cotton-seed hulls 90 per cent of dry matter, and considering the nutritive 

 values to vary in direct proportion to the content of dry matter, 1 lb. of sorghum 

 hay was equal to 15.9 lbs, of prickly pear when that plant was fed in large 

 quantities, and to 10.1 lbs. of prickly pear when it was fed in moderate 

 amounts. One lb. of sorghum silage was equal to 2.6 lbs. of prickly pear, and 

 1 lb. of cotton-seed hulls was equal to 5.8 lbs. of prickly i)ear. When prickly 

 pear in moderate amounts was substituted for a part of the dry roughage, it 

 appeared to have little effect on the digestion of the other ingredients of the 

 ration ; when substituted in large amounts it depressed the coefficient of diges- 

 tion, although not to any great extent. 



As the result of maintenance trials conducted during these experiments, it is 

 believed that mature Jersey cows can be maintained on a daily ration of 3.5 

 to 6 lbs. of sorghum hay, 60 to 100 lbs. of prickly pear, and 1 lb. of cotton-seed 

 meal a day ; or, with prickly pear as the sole roughage, about 110 lbs. of that 

 plant and 2 lbs. of cotton-seed meal. Prickly pear alone did not make a satis- 

 factory maintenance ration, but sustained life for a long time. One cow that 

 was fed prickly pear alone for a period of 70 days lost 30.2 lbs. live weight. 



The average coefficients of digestion in two trials with prickly pear as the 

 sole ration was as follows : Dry matter 61.58, organic matter 67.21, protein 

 71.56, ether extract 65.88, nitrogen-free extract 71.55, crude fiber 42.98 and 

 ash 38.37. 



