MILK PRODUCTION 



57 



Woll l was the first to make an extensive study of dairy 

 practice in the United States as regards the protein supply, 

 finding that very many successful dairymen were using rations 

 supplying materially less protein than was called for by Wolff's 

 standard. The average of all the rations reported as compared 

 with Wolff's standard was as follows : 



TABLE 141. DIGESTIBLE MATTER IN DAIRY RATIONS 



Woll points out that this average, while it does not represent 

 any scientific investigation of milk production, expresses the 

 results of American feeding experience, and although it does not 

 demonstrate either that less protein would not be sufficient or 

 that more would not be advantageous, it does afford a safe 

 guide for practice, and indicates that rations containing less 

 protein than the Wolff standard calls for are probably more 

 profitable. 



Somewhat similar observations were reported by Phelps 2 

 in 1892-1893 with the additional feature that in several in- 

 stances the rations fed were subsequently modified at the sug- 

 gestion of the experimenter and the yield on the new ration 

 determined. Phelps recommends a supply of 1.9 to 2.5 pounds 

 digestible protein per head according to the productiveness of 

 the cow, the amount to be based on the yield of milk rather than 

 on the live weight, and believes such rations will give more 

 economical production than those containing less protein. 



602. Experiments on herds. Haecker 3 has reported ex- 

 tensive observations and experiments on the protein supply 



1 Wis. Expt. Sta., Buls. 33 (1892) and 38 (1894). 



2 Conn. (Storrs) Expt. Sta., Rpt. 1897, pp. 17-66. 



3 Minn. Expt. Sta., Buls. 71, 79, and 140. 



