EFFECT OF FOOD ON THE COMPOSITION OF BUTTER. 



PART I. 



In May, 1891, this station issued Bulletin No. 13, in which the 

 above subject was touched upon, but no definite conclusions were 

 given. Since then the work has been carried on as opportunities 

 have occurred, and a variety of rations have been tried with inter- 

 esting and, we hope, valuable results. Nearly all these rations 

 were such as may be fed on any farm in the state, and an effort 

 has been made to find out that ration which would most probably 

 produce the best butter. 



The experiments may be divided into two series. In the first 

 series, constant amounts of hay and ensilage were used in all the 

 rations, while the amounts and kinds of grain were varied. In the 

 second series, the quantities of ensilage and grain remained the 

 same in all rations ; but the kind and quantity of hay or dry fod- 

 der was changed. 



The cows used in the experiments were of different breeds, and 

 were in different stages of lactation ; but the influences of those 

 characteristics were either neutralized or accounted for in the end. 

 For convenience the two series will be described separately. 



THE FIRST SERIES 



was begun May 19, 1891, and continued through the following 

 June and July. 



the cows 



are described in the following table, which shows the arrangement 

 in groups, breed, and length of time in milk : 



