170 Essay on the Interpretation of Milk Records. 



the means obtained by correcting with a convenient number 

 approximating to this deviation. These rough corrections 

 again bring the means of uniformity within about a quart. 



It will be seen that the highest R.M. occur in April and 

 May at the natural calving season and at a time when there is 

 an abundance of natural succulent food. Throughout the 

 summer the monthly average falls, reaching its lowest in 

 August, at which time green food has also reached its mini- 

 mum, and exterior conditions generally are unfavourable. In 

 the autumn succulent food is again obtainable in the form of 

 roots, the weather is less trying, the cows come into the sheds, 

 more artificial and stimulating food is given, and the R.M. 

 show a sudden rise which is more or less maintained through- 

 out the winter months. 



It is interesting to compare these figures with the mean 

 lactation totals of cows calving in the different months. Only 

 " normal " lactations could of course be taken, and out of these 

 1,418 records 731 were found to be available. They gave the 

 following results : — 



