FARM ANIMALS 173 



test this matter have brought forth evidence in 

 support of this proposition. Certain changes in 

 the composition of the milk may temporarily take 

 place as the immediate results of a change in the 

 ration. Thus it has been found that the milk flow 

 is increased decidedly when the greatest increase 

 in the nutriment in the ration is made. On the 

 other hand the most rapid shrinkage of the milk 

 flow usually occurs when a great reduction in the 

 total amount of nutriment in the ration takes place. 

 Usually changes in the ration which can be made 

 with regard to the amount of protein in it have less 

 effect on the quantity and character of the milk than 

 changes in the total amount of nutrition in the 

 ration. This means in simple words that the 

 greater the food the greater the amount of milk, 

 at least within the limits of the cow's capacity for 

 transforming food into milk. 



With regard to the possibility of increasing the 

 fat content in milk it may be stated that this can 

 only be done within narrow limits and as a rule 

 only for short periods. The feeding of oils and 

 foods containing an excessive fat content may pro- 

 duce a temporary increase in the amount or milk 

 but this increase is not always in the form of pure 

 butter fat. In fact the specific character 01 the 

 oil of the food may pass through into the fat of 

 the milk so that the milk is in a certain sense 

 adulterated when it comes from the cow. 



We may now discuss briefly a number of practical 

 points concerning the feeding and management of 

 cows. With regard to the water furnished cows 

 the practice varies greatly, some men preferring to 

 have the water constantly before the cows in in- 

 dividual troughs or otherwise supplied as directly 

 as possible from the hydrant while other dairymen 



