Testing Milk on the Farm. 145 



and March, when it reached 12 Ibs. of timothy hay, 12 

 Ibs. of corn and cob meal, 6 Ibs. of wheat bran and 6 Ibs. 

 of oil meal per day. The records show that the flow of 

 milk kept up to 16 Ibs. per day in February in case of 

 this cow, but fell to 14 Ibs. in March and April, the 

 average test of the milk being, in February 3. 6, in March 

 3.8, and in April 4.0 per cent. The milk was, therefore, 

 somewhat richer in April than in December, but not 

 more so than is found normally, owing to the progress 

 of the period of lactation. 



172. Influence of pasture on the quality of milk. On 

 May 1, the cows were given luxurient pasture feed and 

 no grain; a slight increase in the average amount of milk 

 produced per day followed, with a reduction in the test, 

 this being 3.8 per cent, the same as in December. 



During all these changes of feed, there was, therefore, 

 not much change in the richness of the milk, while the 

 flow of milk was increased by the heavy grain-feeding 

 for several months, as well as by the change from grain 

 feeding in the barn to pasture feed with no grain. 1 



173. The increase which has often been observed in the 

 amount of butter produced by a cow, as a result of a 

 change in feed, doubtless as a rule comes from the fact 

 that more, but not richer milk is produced. The quality 

 of milk which a cow produces is as natural to her as is 

 the color of her hair and is not materially changed by 

 any special system of normal feeding. 2 



1 For further data on this point, see Cornell (N. Y.) exp. sta., bulletins 

 13, 22, 36 and 49; N. D. exp. sta., bull. 16; Kansas exp. sta., report, 1888; 

 Hoard's Dairyman, 1896, pp. 924-5. 



2 On this point numerous discussions have in recent years taken place 

 in the agricultural press of this and foreign countries, and the subject has 

 been under debate at nearly every gathering of farmers where feeding 



10 



