424 



Journal oj Agricultural Research 



Vol. IV, No. s 



'I'vvo (fsis were m.-idc (o usccilaln the cITfct of prIckly-iH-.ar upon (he 

 (|ii:ililv of biiMcr. No cxpcrl jiul^'cs wore- avaihihlo for scoriii^f (he 

 l.iiMtr, l)iil till- ((■s(s iiidic.-itc (li.it i)rickly pctir exerts li((le, if :iiiy, 

 iiiif.iA'oi.'ible iiilhieiice on (he llavor. vSoiiie (lill'ieuHy was expcriciieed in 

 elmiiiiii^^ (lie eicaiii of (lie I'ovv fed oil er)( (oilseed meal, wi(h priekly-pcar 

 as (lie sole roii);li:iKe- I 'eloic hut tci col i Id be made from (his lot of cMi-am 

 it was necessary (o raise it (o a (eiiipeiadirc- of (15'^ l'\, live dej.{rees hiL,dier 

 than (lie chiirniiiv: (emperadire of (he odier lots of cream. Ho(h (he 

 diiliciilt cliinniii;^; <»f the cream and the hardness of this lot of butter 

 seemed (o be dm- (o (hi' I'odoiiseeil me.il. The only noticeable elTect 

 of prickly jK-ar was (he hi|,dier color of the butter (Table XV). 



'rAiii.iv XV'. 77«' inJliiiH(f of jniddv /unr iijuni llir (pKtHly of Imllrr 



I'l'i-ixr (ti' I'l'ivDiNc rincKLv i'i;,\k' .ai.oniv as koikiiiaciv 



Cow I .^ was |»laccd on a daiiv ration of about .| pounds of cottonseed 

 meal and .is niticli prickly pear as she would eat. This ra(ioii was 

 I'oiUiniied for ^71 days. Dnriiij.;; (his (iine she consnined a (o(al of 

 i,.|.'.S pounds of codoiiseed iiieiil, nil a\'era,i;;e of .^M^ pounds a day, and 

 •l'i7.V' pounds of |)rickly pear, an averav;i' of 112.5 pounds a day. At 

 the bej^iimiiii; of (his period (he cow weii;hed 7,^7 pounds, a( (he close 

 ()<)(> poniids, a. loss of .| 1 pounds. Diniiiv; (his tinu' she produced 1,045 

 pounds of milk, coiitainiii); 5.1.5 pounds of fat, and i;a\e birth to a calf. 

 Soon aftir beiiii; |)laced on (his ra(ion con(aiiiinj,^ only prickly-pear as 

 roii.i;lia);e her coa( became roiii;Ii, she scoured badly, and ^ave other 

 t-\idenci' (lia( sIii- was not properly nonrislu-d. After 371 (la\s of fee(Hiig 

 oil prickh' pear and tv>((onseed meal, (he la((er was willidrawn from 

 the ration ;iiid piickK pi'ar aloiu- was coiitinned for So days. Dnr- 

 iiiv; (his pii iod she consnined a (otal of <),t>ii) pounds of prickly-pear, uii 

 avera^i- of 1 .'i pounds a day, and produced but 2.\. pounds of milk and 

 i.i pounds of fa( , as her milk prodnclion was \i'i"v low and she was 

 dried up williin 10 days after (he be^inniiij; of (he period. Dliriiij; (his 

 .So day period she lost 24 pounds in weight. A ration of mixed };niin, 

 sor).^lnim hay, and prickly-pear was then j^iven to her. Widiin a week 

 she s(opped sconrini^ and improved rapidly in ai)j)earaiice and condition. 

 Apparently (lure wen- no permanent ill elTects from her extended radon 

 of prickly-pear. 



Cow I was fed an :i\era.<;e dail\' ia( ion of 5 pounds of cottonseed meal 

 and i.|i.7 poinids of [nickly-i)ear for a period of 170 days. This cow 



