1110 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



ainounti^. There was no essential difference in tlie quality of the milk made on the 

 2 rations. The yield of milk per unit of dry matter was also practically the same. 



Additional data concerning the exj)eriniental error involved in feeding trials indi- 

 cated that under favorable conditions the error by the alternation system is slight. 



A comparison of feeding-trial methods, J. L. Hills ( Vermont Sta. lipt. 1903, 

 pp. 'J04-^,'74)- — The results of the third test of the 2 methods of feeding designated 

 the alternation system and the combined continuous and alternation system, confirm 

 the conclusions reached in the i)revious report (E. S. R., 1-4, p. 1112), that the alter- 

 nation method is the better of the two. The work is to be continued for several 

 years, although it is not expected that material change in the position taken will be 

 necessary. 



On the value of sugar beets as a food for dairy cows, G. "\V. Berglund {Nord. 

 Mejerl Tkln., I'J {1'j04), No. 7, pp. ^4, &'>)• — Sixty-four cows were fed for 92 days dur- 

 ing November, December, and January 200 kilos sugar beets, or about 3 kilos per 

 head daily, in addition to straw, ground barley, and peanut cake. The fat content 

 of the milk was maintained during the beet feeding, while the total production of fat 

 was considerably higher during the months when beets were fed than before or after. 

 The author concludes that, under conditions such as prevailed in this experiment, 

 sugar beets are an excellent feed for milk production, and that they pay much better 

 when used for this purpose than when sent to a sugar factory. — f. w. woll. 



Effect of feed on the composition of milk, butter fat, and on the con- 

 sistency or body of butter, J. B. Lixdsey kt al. {Proc. Soc. Proni. A(jr. Sri., 1904, 

 pp. 113-131). — This is the third experiment of this character conducted at the 

 Massachusetts Station (E. S. R., 13, p. 385; 14, p. 183). The present experiments 

 were made with 2 lots of 5 cows each and covered 4 periods, varying in length from 3 

 to 7 weeks each. One lot was fed a standard grain mixture consisting of wheat bran, 

 ground oats, cotton-seed meal, and gluten meal during the entire experiment; while 

 the other lot was fed the standard grain mixture during the first period and the 

 same ration replaced in part by gluten meal, gluten meal and corn oil, and corn 

 meal, respectively, during the 3 remaining periods. Detailed data are reported. 



The addition of 0.6 lb. of corn oil increased the fat content of the milk 0.23 per 

 cent, the effect of the corn oil disappearing by the end of the second week. The 

 removal of the corn oil from the ration decreased the fat content of the milk 0.54 

 per cent, the percentage becoming normal after the first week. Corn oil also 

 appeared to decrease the nitrogen content of the milk. It is not believed to be prac- 

 ticable to feed large amounts of oil to cows, owing to the tendency of this material 

 to derange the digestive Organs. The composition of the milk of the lot fed the 

 standard grain mixture for the entire experiment remained practically uniform. 



The addition of corn oil decreased the saponification number 10 points and the 

 Reichert-Meissl number 3J j^oints, and increased the iodin number 9 points. The 

 melting point of the fat remained unchanged. It is believed from the results of the 

 present and earlier experiments that neither the proteids nor carbohydrates, when 

 fed in normal amounts, exert any noticeal)le influence on the composition of milk 

 nor on the chemical character of the butter fat. The changes that do occur are 

 attributed to the presence of oil in the feeding stuffs. The corn and gluten meal 

 tended to produce a soft butter, and this tendency was noticeably increased by the 

 addition of corn oil to the ration. 



Report of the professor of dairy husbandry, H. H. Dean {Ontario Agr. Col. 

 and E.xpt. Farm Itpt. 1903, pp. 60-76). — Several lines of experiments are reported 

 upon. Some of these are in continuation of work reported last year (E. S. R., 15, 

 p. 74). 



Comparative tests were made of different methods of handling milk for household 

 purposes. The methods included clarifying at 90, 140, and 160° F. l)y running 

 through a cream separator, pasteurizing at 140, 160, and 180°, and filtering through 



