24 X. H. Agri. Experiment Station [Bui. 296 



form of cod-liver oil concentrate, reports K. S. Morrow. Feeding facil- 

 ities limited the number of calves, and restriction to the University 

 herd involved different breeds; but an attempt was made to have all 

 calves in a group as near the same age as possible. 



Four groups were fed varying rations with the following results to 

 age of 180 days: Group 1, cod-liver oil concentrate added to grain mix- 

 ture at rate of 5 lbs. per ton, average daily gain, 1.55 lbs.; Group 2, 

 commercial calf starter, average daily gain, 1.17 lbs.; Group 3, check 

 ration, average daily gain, 1.51 lbs.; Group 4, special calf starter, av- 

 erage daily gain, 1.29 lbs. 



Since the rations used are representative of methods of feeding on 

 New Hampshire farms, it is planned to continue the study until more 

 definite comparisons can be made. {State Fund) 



Pastures Affect Milk Solids 



Further indication that the quality of pastures has a material bear- 

 ing upon the solids-not-fat content of milk is evident. The number of 

 herds from which 15-day composite samples were drawn was increased 

 from 40 to 57 during the year, reports H. C. Moore. A comparison with 

 the previous year's records shows that while the average fat content 

 ran a little higher and the solids-not-fat content a little lower, the lines 

 seem to go up and down at about the same time both years. The fig- 

 ures check with observations that pastures were not generally so good 

 as last year. Monthly three-day composite samples from the Univer- 

 sitj!* herd also show the curv^es for both years reaching the same general 

 high and low points. 



While our data does not yet cover so large a number of samples as 

 that used in the Kelly and Clement table of the normal relationship of 

 fat to other solids in milk, the indications are: (1) that the milk from 

 New Hampshire famis does not show the average relationship given in 

 this table; (2) that the milk coming from a large percentage of our 

 farms contains a lower total solids content for the fat test than is given 

 in that table during part of the year; and (3) that regulatory bodies 

 should take into account the fact that normal milk varies in composi- 

 tion at different seasons of the year. 



Work is in progress with individual producers to see if this condition 

 is a normal characteristic of the cow, or if by changing feeding and 

 farm management practices, the composition of the milk can be kept 

 normal during the year and possibly raised to relationship expressed in 

 the Kelly and Clement table. 



Tests of 37 cows affected with mastitis showed a per cent fat of 3.320 

 as compared with 3.425 for 19 clean cows; and a per cent solids-not-fat 

 of 8.175 as compared with 8.519. 



A paper on our study was presented at the meeting of the American 

 Dairy Science Association in June, 1936. {Purnell Fund) 



Fruit Bud Formation 



Rather strikingly improved fruit bud formation in IMcIntosh trees 

 that had become biennial in bearing habits, has been obtained by early 



