TYPES AND MARKET CLASSES OF LIVE STOCK 171 



when the cows freshen. It is known that cows fed cottonseed 

 meal yield butter that is hard and tallowy, with a high melting 

 point, while linseed meal produces a soft butter with a low 

 melting point. In spite of these and other minor exceptions, 

 it may be said that improvement in the composition of milk 

 is a breeding, rather than a feeding, problem. The feeder can 

 only supply feed in such amount as will permit the cow to give 

 a maximum flow of milk. But as we have seen, two cows may 

 produce far different quantities of milk when given the best of 

 care, so that increase in the quantity of milk is also a problem 

 for the breeder. Cows are born with certain inherent abilities; 

 feeding can assist these inherent abilities to reveal themselves, 

 but cannot permanently alter them. Great cows are born great. 

 Their greatness will not be realized, however, unless they are 

 given good care and plenty of the right kind of feed to use in 

 manufacturing milk. No matter how large and efficient a fac- 

 tory may be, it cannot turn out much product unless it has 

 available an abundant supply of the raw material, but an abun- 

 dant supply of raw material will not raise the output of a poorly 

 equipped or inefficient plant above a certain low maximum. 

 It is far more correct to say that a well-fed dairy cow eats be- 

 cause she gives milk, than it is to say that she gives milk because 

 she eats. 



