782 EXPERIMENT STATION EECORD. 



Excluding the 2 poorest cows, Nos. 1 and 6, and 3 heifers, Nos. 17, 

 18, and 23, the remaining 13 cows gave an average yearly production 

 of G,019 lbs. of milk and 255.1: lbs. of butter fat, the average returns 

 per cow being |il8.24 over an average cost for food of $22.21. 



A summary' of the records by years shows an increase in the average 

 production from 268.6 lbs. of butter in 1891-95 to 286.8 lbs. in 1898-99, 

 with a decrease in the cost of production of 1 lb. of butter from 8.67 

 to 7.3 cts. These results are attributed to good feed and care, the use 

 of cheaper feeding stuffs, an improvement in the herd due to breeding, 

 and the elimination of a few unprofitable cows. 



A study was made of the influence of the weight of the cow, period 

 of lactation, dehorning, methods of feeding, type, and change of 

 milkers upon the yield and quality of milk and the economy of pro- 

 duction. Some of the author's conclusions are as follows: 



" In the majority of instances the largest production was associated with the lowest 

 live weight, while the least production was associated with the highest weight. A 

 tendency to lay on flesh, therefore, would appear to be opposed to the largest dairy 

 production. . . . 



"As the period of actation advanced the cows decreased in their milk yield about 

 9 per cent each month. The percentage of fat in the milk increased slightly, more 

 particularly after the sixth month of lactation. 



"The effect (jf turning cows from dry feed to fresh spring pasture was to increase 

 markedly the yield of milk and butter fat and to increase slightly the percentage of fat 

 in the milk. . . . Fresh milch cows gave the greatest increase in yield of milk and 

 butter fat when turned to pasture, but the test of the milk was not affected. . . . 

 Cows changed from dry to green feed in the stable did not give an increase in pro- 

 duction like cows turned to pasture. It would seem, therefore, that the increase in 

 production following from the pasture feeding is due mainlj'^ to the change in the 

 habits of the cow and in the manner of gathering her food. 



"Cows bred to drop their calves during the early winter season, when turned to 

 pasture gave nearly as large a production as when they came in fresh, and they 

 maintained the increased flow on pasture longer than cows that came in at other 

 times. . . . 



"A change of milkers may not, as a rule, be advisable, yet a change from a poor 

 to a good milker, even though the good milker was a stranger, showed an immediate 

 increase in milk yield." 



Dehorning had no marked effect upon milk production. In a 

 discussion of the tj^pe of cow in relation to dair}' production, brief 

 descriptions and illustrations from photographs are given of 7 of the 

 cows of the herd. 



Data are given showing the variations in the different constituents 

 of the milk of a number of cows, and methods of testing cows and 

 sampling milk at creameries are discussed. "The cows, as a rule, 

 gave less Ijut richer milk from the shorter milking period in the da5\ 

 . . . The daily variations in the composition of the milk of a cow, the 

 variations from morning to evening, and in the first, last, and average 

 milk, arc variations in fat only, and do not, as a rule, extend to the 

 other solids." 



