The Dairy Cow — Scientific Findings. 



885 



on 8 different farms were used. The yield and composition of the 

 milk for ten-day periods preceding and following the turning to 

 pasture are reported below : 



We note that the effect of turning from winter stables to spring 

 pastures was to increase at once the milk flow by over 7 per ct., the 

 percentage of fat by about 8 per ct., and that of the other solids by 

 nearly 2 per ct. While the increased milk flow was maintained, the 

 percentage of fat fell back to normal after the cows had been about 

 20 days on grass. The small increase in solids not fat seems to have 

 been more permanent. 



Linfield of the Utah Station^ observed that cows turned on pasture 

 early in the season while the grass was soft and lush lost in weight 

 for a short time, due probably to the extreme flushing of the system. 

 This result, however, had no eft'ect on the milk production. Where 

 the grasses w^ere more mature when the cows w-ere first turned on 

 them no material loss in live weight was noted. 



609. Work. — Dolgich- found that moderate exercise tended to in- 

 crease the quantity of milk and all the constituents except casein, 

 which was slightly decreased, while excessive exercise decreased 

 nearly all the constituents. Light work decreased the quantity of 

 both milk and milk solids, while excessive work decidedly decreased 

 the flow and injured the quality, the casein not coagulating and some 

 of the food-fat appearing unaltered in the milk. (392) 



610. Feeding- concentrates on pasture. — Shelton and Cottrell of 

 the Kansas Station"' found that feeding grain to cows on pasture did 

 not directly pay, even tho the yield of milk was increased as much 

 as 31 per ct. Moore of the ^Mississippi Station,* on feeding 3 lbs. of 

 cotton-seed meal and 4 lbs. of wheat bran daily per cow to a dairy 

 herd on pasture, found that the increased milk flow did not justify 

 the expense, tho the firmness of the l)utter was greatly improved by 



1 Bui. 68. 



= Molkerei Zeitung, 17, 1903, p. 191. 

 2S 



Ept. 1888. 

 ■ Bui. 70. 



