20 BETTER DAIRY FARMING 



Most scientists believe that there is a fourth vitamine, the anti- 

 rachitic, — a vitamine which will cure rickets. The latter is a 

 disease due to improper lime and phosphorus nutrition. The 

 vitamine does not supply either of these minerals but aids in their 

 metabolism. Cod liver oil is the best source of this vitamine. 

 Those who have studied the question believe that the factor in 

 green forage, which helps the dairy cow build up her reserves of 

 lime and phosp'horus, as mentioned in paragraph 13, is identical 

 with the antirachitic vitamine. Thus the dairyman is interested 

 in having.as much as possible of this vitamine in his ration. This 

 means good pasture in the summer and, in the winter, leafy rough- 

 age, cured so as to preserve its leaves and bright green color. To 

 do this, curing under caps is essential. 



A dairy ration which is based on good pasture in summer and 

 plenty of grain and good leafy roughage in winter will supply 

 vitamines as well as we know how to do at present. 



39. Vitamines in the milk. — Vitamines A, B and C are more 

 important in the case of growing animals than for milch cows and 

 we will say more about them when we take up the feeding of 

 calves and young stock. Lack of vitamines in the dairy ration 

 affects the quality of the milk rather than its quantity, since the 

 vitamine content of the milk is governed by the vitamine content 

 of the feed. In particular, milk produced on pasture grass is three 

 times as rich in C as that produced on good winter rations. 



Of course, the dairyman is not primarily interested in this 

 difference in quality, but the consumer is, particularly where 

 babies are concerned. As the consumer becomes more educated 

 on this point there might well be a special market for milk from 

 cows so fed as to furnish a product high in vitamines. At any rate, 

 the dairyman must have some interest in the vitamine content 

 of his milk from the standpoint of his own children. The question 

 may well be important also where calves or other animals are 

 being raised on milk or its products. 



40. Water, light and air. — Cows should be watered at least 

 twice a day. The water should be clean, good-tasting and free 

 from ice. It should not be so cold that the animal will stand and 



