1891.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 4. 147 



Professor Roberts. There are some experiments which 

 seem to indicate that, but we have not evidence enough to 

 show that we increase the butter fat when we increase the 

 total amount of solids. 



Mr. Bowker. I was afraid that there would be a dis- 

 agreement upon that point, because I remember being present 

 at a meeting in Connecticut two or three years ago when 

 this question came up, and Professor Johnson said that there 

 was only one record that showed that the quality of the food 

 would change the proportions of caseine and fat. He said 

 that if we wanted butter, we must have a butter cow ; that 

 if we wanted cheese, we must have a cheese cow. Is that 

 correct, Mr. Sessions? 



Secretary Sessions. Perfectly. 



Mr. Bowker. I rose simply to bring out this point, 

 because it is really a nice point, and one which we ought to 

 understand. 



Professor Roberts. I think you will find some experi- 

 ments carefully conducted in Germany, which seem to prove, 

 or seem to show (it takes more than one experiment to 

 prove a thing) , that where they fed palm-nut meal they did 

 change the amount of butter fat. 



Mr. Bowker. That was the experiment to which Pro- 

 fessor Johnson referred. He said that was the only 

 experiment on record, where they fed that palm-nut meal. 



Governor Hoard. I am very glad that this question has 

 come up, because I think I can throw a little ray of light 

 upon it. I have been very much perplexed for a number of 

 years with the situation, — the evident teachings of scientific 

 experiments and the evident cross-teachings of certain experi- 

 ments made by feeders and breeders ; but I have been 

 investigating it for a few years, and I have come to the con- 

 clusion that, if we would first determine what the percentage 

 of limitation is in the cow, we would then have some guide 

 by which we could determine the possible change of 

 percentage. What I mean by " the percentage of limitation " 

 is this. For instance, we will suppose that the limit in a 

 cow is 4 per cent of fat, 3.5 per cent of caseine, 1.5 per 

 cent of albumen, and 4.70 per cent of milk sugar. We 

 will suppose, I say, that that is her limitation of per- 



