126 AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND THE FARMER : 



these qualities. Simultaneously an investigation is being made of 

 the external characteristics of cows known by their records to 

 be good or bad milkers, for accurate information on the value 

 of the commonly accepted external indications of milk-yielding 

 powers is necessary as a prelinimary to the study of the breeding 

 of dairy stock. This enquiry is being carried out in co-operation 

 with members of the Berkshire Milk Recording Society and others. 



Calf feeding in its effect on the future milk yield. — Another 

 problem which the Institute is attempting to solve relates to 

 the feeding of calves which are intended for the milking herd. 

 It is a common belief among farmers that if young dairy stock 

 are reared under conditions which induce the laying on of fat, 

 they will be less satisfactory as milking cows. In consequence 

 light feeding is adopted; but this entails a certain sacrifice, 

 for heavy feeding would produce stronger and more quickly 

 maturing animals, that is, they would begin to produce milk 

 at an earlier age. The results of research carried out in America 

 with Friesians and Guernseys indicate that heavy feeding has 

 no adverse influence on the potential milking capacity of young 

 stock ; but it is not clear how far this applies to cows of the Short- 

 horn type, which is so popular in this country, and an investigation 

 has therefore been commenced at Reading with a view to solving 

 the problem. To do so, it is necessary to start with calves of, 

 say, a month old, and carry them through for two or three 

 lactation periods. Two lots of five calves have already been 

 purchased, one of which will be fed light and the other heavy. 

 It is hoped to have at least four lots of ten calves each, for definite 

 conclusions can hardly be drawn from results obtained on a 

 smaller scale. The work forms part of a general attempt to 

 ascertain the conditions that affect the growth, health, breeding 

 powers and milk yield of dairy cattle — a subject on which very 

 little information is at present available. 



Butter Fat Records. — From the dairy farmer's point of view, 

 the quality of milk is expressed by its butter fat content, and 

 cows yielding milk containing less than a certain percentage of 

 fat may cause the milk of a herd to fall below the standard. 

 In the matter of milk quality we have surprisingly little informa- 

 tion on two vital points : first, the external conditions which 

 influence yield and quality: and second, how to ascertain, with 

 the minimum of trouble, the quality of the milk that a particular 

 cow is yielding. In order to solve these problems, the Institute 

 has commenced a detailed investigation of the milk yield of cows. 

 Samples of morning and evening milk are obtained from a number 

 of cows kept under controlled but at the same time strictly 



