BASING STANDARDS ON QUALITY OF MILK 77 



be sufficient to modify the standards when American 

 feeds are given American-raised live stock. 



Another factor that enters into the problem is 

 the ever-increasing improved quality of our farm 

 animals. On the same food, as Armsby has deter- 

 mined, the pure-bred steer will make better gains 

 than the scrub. If our farm animals are selected for 

 high production, are we not warranted in contribut- 

 ing some part of this increase to the digestive appa- 

 ratus of the well-bred animal ? If the selected strain 

 is better in other respects, does it not improve also 

 in ability to digest and utilize food to the best ad- 

 vantage? Moreover, our feeding stuffs are grown 

 under different soil and climatic conditions and are fed 

 under different environments, and these may account 

 in part for the higher efficiency of our feeding stuffs. 



Haecker's Investigations. After a study in vari- 

 ous parts of the country of dairy rations some of 

 which demonstrate very practically that less protein 

 would give the same results, Professor Haecker of 

 the Minnesota station undertook a series of experi- 

 ments to determine, if possible, just what the food 

 requirements are when dairy cows are cared 

 for under average conditions. The results sug- 

 gested by these experiments are the following : 



1. That less protein is required in the ration than 



called for in the old standard for dairy cows. 



2. That the food nutrients should correspond to 



the quantity of milk given. 



3. That the amount of butter fat in the milk must 



be given due weight in providing the food 

 nutrients. 



