VARIATION OF FAT IN MILK 



79 



records of two cows in the same Canadian herd, both of which 

 freshened in the spring and at practically the same time also 

 the average for fourteen cows at the Geneva Station : 



8. Feed of Cows. There was at one time a very general 

 belief, which still has its advocates, that the per cent of fat in 

 milk varies with the nature of the food the cow receives; but 

 many investigations made both in America and in Europe have 

 shown that, practically speaking, the richness of a cow's milk is 

 not influenced by her food. A narrow ration, one made up 

 quite largely of concentrates rich in protein, will stimulate the 

 milk flow, a fact which is well known and made use of by those 

 experienced in the fitting and feeding of cows for high official 

 records; but it does not increase the per cent of fat in the 

 milk. 



Observations by the Copenhagen (Denmark) Station over a 

 period of ten years, and including about 2000 cows, led the 

 observers to conclude that foods high in protein content may 

 possibly raise the fat-content of the milk to the extent of o.i 

 per cent a very slight increase if actually an increase at all. 

 Lindsay of the Massachusetts Station found that a ration with a 



