22 PROCEEDINGS CF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF QUEENSLAND. 



Table 15.— Fat Percentage in Milk for Ten-day Periods before and after 

 Change of RouoHioE. 



A similar reduction of butter-fat content was shown to 

 attend the feeding of prickly pear in the Brownsville trials (9). 



As already shown, the inclusion of prickly pear in the 

 ration of dairy cows does not influence the percentage of solids- 

 not-fat of the milk. 



The Influence of Prickly Pear on the Quality of 

 THE Product. 

 No characteristic flavour was found to be imparted to the 

 milk of the cows by feeding prickly pear. Tested for keeping 

 properties in comparison with milk produced on hay roughage, 

 no distinction could be drawn with regard to the rate or con- 

 dition of souring of the samples. The cream from the milk 

 of prickly pear fed cows could be chuiaied without difficulty. 

 The butter, in contrast to the highly coloured product obtained 

 by Woodward, Turner, and Grifliths, was *paler than that 

 produced on the hay roughage. It was judged by the Govern- 

 ment dairy expert to be not inferior to the butter produced by 

 hay fed cows. 



The milk of prickly pear fed cows seemed to be entirely 

 suitable for cheesemaking. The time of coagulation was 

 normal, and the curd displayed no property that would be 

 unfavourable to manufacture. 



The Suitability of Prickly Pear as a Roughage for 

 Dairy Cows. 

 Prickly pear is an entirely wholesome roughage for dairy 

 cows, and can be safely fed for considerable periods. All the 



