EFFECT OF FEED ON TEST OF MILK 163 



quantity which would be expected of her in her mature form 

 and during the second lactation year 80 per cent and the third 

 90 per cent. 



One should not draw too hasty conclusions regarding a 

 young cow that is not doing well yet which is of such breeding 

 that better work might be expected. 



The famous Holstein cow, Missouri Chief Josephine, 

 calved the first time when about two and one-half years old 

 and was fairly well fed after she calved but had not been put 

 into condition before freshening. Her milk for the first three 

 months tested only 1.5 per cent fat. Her first year's work was 

 very ordinary, but upon maturity and with better feeding she 

 broke the world's record for six months, producing 17,008 

 pounds of milk. Her record for the year was 26,861 pounds 

 of milk. On her best day she yielded 110.2 pounds of milk, 

 about fifty quarts, testing 2.8 per cent fat. 



Effect of Feed on Test of Milk. — When cows have for a 

 considerable time been very inadequately fed they not only 

 will produce a smaller quantity of milk and fat, but the milk 

 will have in it a slightly lower percentage amount of fat. The 

 same animals later liberally fed upon the ordinary feedstuffs 

 are known to increase very materially not only in total quantity 

 of milk and fat yielded, but also in percentage of fat as well." 

 Many reasonable and other methods have been tried for the 

 production of milk of higher fat content. Such artificial methods 

 as the feeding of fat, however, produce a higher percentage only 

 by throwing the cow out of condition and making her feverish. 

 The period of high percentage fat is then of short duration and 

 is usually followed by a period of depression. 



The pnly practicable way of securing more fat for market 

 is by feeding the cow liberally, yet within reason, on a balanced 

 ration made up of ordinary feedstuffs and otherwise giving her 

 such care that she will be able to yield a larger quantity of milk. 

 The struggle to secure a higher fat content in milk is imprac- 

 tical with any cow except in so far as it can be influenced by 

 the condition of body fatness accumulated during her period of 

 rest; or as a long time plan, the breeding from stock which 



