of German Landowners in 1841. 229 



clear to me, that if we bestowed pains on our own cattle they would not 

 be equally good, at least in respect to milk, which for us is the prin- 

 cipal point. I hope that this discussion will lead many German farmers 

 to make experiments on our own cattle, and to let them be publicly 

 known." 



The following remarks were made on Question 46 : — 



*' Is it possible to obtain butter of equal quality throughout the year 

 by adapting the food of the cow to the season ? 



" Mr. Hilmers thought it was impossible. 



"Baron Eckardstein. — In England experience has shown that the 

 cow on good natural meadows gives not only more, but also richer and 

 more agreeable milk than upon a clover piece, or than when she is kept 

 at home in a stall. 



" Mr. Karbe. — Still it appears that such management would not be 

 quite impracticable, for on the farms around Berlin they produce butter 

 with hay and meal only, which is not at all inferior to grass-butter. 



" Mr. Thaer. — When cows receive green food in their stalls, or even 

 when they graze, their produce in milk and butter falls off in autumn, 

 and the butter loses flavour ; but if you give them green maize to eat 

 at that time, they yield more milk and the butter improves in flavour. 



" Mr. Neergaarb. — Complete regularity of produce all the year round 

 is unattainable ; but that something may be done I have no doubt. 

 Clover-hay and salted green food improve the milk for churning. 



*' Mr. Klitzing. — For many years I have sent fresh butter to Berlin, 

 and I attribute the goodness of my butter to the refuse of distillery which 

 I give to my cows. 



*' Mr. Karbe agreed with the last speaker. 



" Mr. Teichmann. — Dividing the calving of the cows regularly 

 through the year gives a steadier quality of milk. We do this in 

 Saxony, so that we have always young and old milk together." 



I will only add a few remarks made on Question 61, which^ 

 though rather of an abstract nature, may deserve consideration : — 



" In sheep of unequal size, but of the same race, does the amount of 

 food required by each, stand in proportion to the size of the animals ? 



" Mr. Thaer thought that the smaller animal required somewhat less 

 food in proportion, which he ascribed to the linings of the bowels acting 

 more thoroughly on the digested food. That there appeared, however, 

 to be exceptions among sheep, because the smaller animal might pro- 

 duce most wool, and the production of more wool would require a larger 

 supply of food. 



" Count Holstein. — According to the English the smaller sheep 

 always eats less in proportion, 



" Mr. Thaer. — The observations of the English are confined to the 

 production of meat. But a pound of wool requires as much food for its 

 production as 8 or 10 pounds of meat, without reckoning the grease that 

 lies between the wool. He then entered upon the observations of the 

 well-known French agriculturalist Mons. Riviere. For many years 

 Mons. Riviere had kept large and small oxen and sheep, which he sold 



