No. 4.] DAIRY CATTLE. 77 



We could not raise it much above 65°, but we were sat- 

 isfied that in our lierd of twenty-five cows it increased the 

 flow fully as many quarts per day. That was our first 

 winter's trial. This fall, being called away from home con- 

 siderably, I left instructions with my man that as soon as 

 "the weather became cold to warm the water. On returning 

 to my home I found that the cattle had dropped off in quan- 

 tity. I immediately inquired if he had warmed the water. 

 He said he had not. When the water was warmed again, 

 in two or three days they got back their milk, and increased, 

 in fact, a little more than they were giving previously. 



Mr. F. H. Plumb (of Springfield). The gentleman on 

 my left has said that cotton-seed meal was not allowed in 

 his factory, and Governor Hoard, who has fed it in the pro- 

 portion he has stated, says it has no effect on the quality 

 of the butter. I have been told by dairj-men that cotton- 

 seed meal has a softening effect so as to somewhat injure the 

 shipping quality. 



Ex-Governor Hoard, We know of no such effect ; it is 

 right the opposite. Oil meal has somewhat of a softening 

 effect, and gluten meal is supposed to have that effect to 

 some extent. 



Mr. PlUiAib. Then there is one more question in relation 

 to cotton-seed meal. What is its effect on the pregnancy 

 ■of a cow when fed in large quantities ? 



Ex-Governor Hoard. Well, that is a mooted question. 

 I could not say definitely. It is claimed it is somewhat dis- 

 turbing upon the pregnant condition, and i,3 liable, if fed in 

 •excess, to result in an abortion. 



Mr. Kline. I have had some experience in our creamery. 

 At one time nearly all of the dairies had been in milk a long 

 time, and we frequently tested the different dairies sepa- 

 rately, and we found we got a very poor yield of butter, but 

 by mixing these dairies with the others we almost always got 

 more per cent of butter from the whole mixture than we did 

 when they were not mixed, so I think that by mixing the prod- 

 uct of several cows or dairies it does away with that difficulty. 



Ex-Governor Hoard. Very likely ; the good helps out 

 the bad. 



Mr. Kline. In regard to cotton-seed meal, we have tested 



