222 THE CREAMERY PATRON'S HANDBOOK. 



of decrease of water taken into the system and the amount of milk produced 

 are almost exactly in the same proportion, that is, the decrease of water 

 taken in during the second silage period was 19 per cent, of the amount 

 in the first, while the milk decreased 20 per cent. 



In the fodder period, the second shows a decrease of 14 per cent, of 

 water and 13 per cent, of milk over the first period, while in all the periods 

 the decrease of 14 per cent, of water and 13 per cent, of milk occurred from 

 the first. 



That this is not chance, but characteristic of cows, will appear from 

 a study of the experiment made during three years at the Wisconsin Experi- 

 ment Station 1 and in seven out of eight tests the cows took more water into 

 the system daily and gave more milk while eating silage than on corn fodder, 

 and in the other cases the amounts were equal, thus showing that the rations 

 which produced the most milk contained the most water. When silage was 

 fed with water at 39 degrees F. there were 2.9 pounds of water drank for 

 each pound of milk yielded. 



Minnesota conducted a like experiment, giving three cows water at 70 

 degrees, and three cows water at 33 degrees. The three cows receiving the 

 warm water drank an average of 95 pounds daily ; those receiving the cold 

 water drank 87 pounds daily. No special difference could be attributed to 

 the one over the other, either on the milk or butter. The animals receiving 

 the warm water gained 43 pounds, while those receiving the cold water 

 gained 140 pounds. 2 A similar experiment conducted in Michigan 3 

 from January 19 to March 14, using water at the freezing point and at 

 60 degrees, showed that on four cows there was a gain of only 45^ pounds of 

 milk during the entire period. It is also recorded by the Vermont Experi- 

 ment Station that water at 40 degrees was taken as freely as that above. 4 



There is supposed to be a difference in the comparative value of warm 

 and cold water for milk cows. To prove this, two experiments were con- 

 ducted at the Wisconsin Experiment Station to ascertain the effect of the 

 temperature of the water on the milk production. One experiment lasted 

 for sixty-four days and the other one for sixty days. There were six cows 

 used in each test. One lot was given water at a temperature of 32 degrees 

 F. and the other 70 degrees F. In the first experiment the time was divided 

 into three periods of sixteen days each with intervals between them. At 

 the close of these periods the water temperatures were reversed, that is, the 

 cows which received water at 32 degrees F. were given water at 70 degrees F. 



1 Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment Station, Bull. 21, and Reports 



'89-'90. 



2 Bulletin No. 4, Minnesota Agr. Exp. Station. Edward D. Porter. 



3 Michigan Agr. Exp. Station, Bulletin 41. 



4 Report Vermont Agr. Exp. Station, 1889. J. L. Hills. 



