174 HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN CATTLE. 



Albuminoids. Carbohydrates. Fat. 



20 Ibs. corn ensilage, . . . 0.24 2.40 0.10 



4 " shorts 0.44 1.84 0.11 



1 " cottonseed meal, . . . 0.35 0.23 0.06 



Total, .''.... 1.03 4.47 0.27 



Nutritive ratio 1 to 5. When this day's feed is put together we have album- 

 inoids, 2.31 ; carbohydrates, 11.88 ; fat .78, and a nutritive ra.tio of 1 to 6. This 

 should be a successful ration. When the cows go dry feed clover ensilage and 

 6 to 8 Ibs. shorts. 



"I want a milk (also a butter) ration made for thoroughbred Holstein- 

 Friesian cattle, and instructions how to change from one to the other. I want 

 it made with reference to good health and development of my herd. My cattle 

 have had good attention, and have been well fed all the time. Foods : Bran, 

 value $19 per ton ; clover hay, fine, cured a little too long, $10 ; ground oats, 

 35c. per bushel; corn meal, 60c. ; corn-heart meal, made in making oil, $20 per 

 ton. My hay is cut, moistened and mixed. I have steam power to cut, grind, 

 etc., and a mill of French buhr stone. 



"Please name difference in feed of milch cows and young stock. E. S." 



E. S. raises several questions which have been partially discussed in these 

 answers. He seems to take it for granted that a ration may be so constructed 

 as to produce quantity of milk rather than quality, and still be adapted to pro- 

 mote the health of the cow. But this is an error when applied to a permanent 

 ration. For the health of the cow cannot properly be promoted in an extended 

 system, unless it contains a full proportion of all the food elements required in 

 the production of milk. As milk is made from the blood, food best adapted to 

 make healthy blood will best promote the health of the cow. It is true that a 

 ration may be unbalanced by being too nitrogenous, as well as to be too carbon- 

 aceous. Some feeders, when they desire to produce the richest milk, give food 

 containing an excess of albuminoids, as was done (as appears by all the pub- 

 lished statements) in the tests of the celebrated cows, Princess 2d and Mary 

 Anne of St. Lambert, as well as some others; and it is quite possible, in these 

 tests, that it promoted the temporary increase of butter in the milk. But it is 

 better to have a ration constructed on natural principles, founded on nature's 

 best milk food, good pasture grasses, which have a nutritive ratio of about 1 to 

 4 or 1 to 4.5. 



2. In making a ration with the foods mentioned by S., we are a little 

 doubtful of the precise quality of corn-heart meal, as he says it is " made in 

 making oil," whereas it is usually used in making hominy, and has a large per 

 cent of oil (9.24 per cent). Is this afterwards extracted from the corn-heart ? 

 If so, it would change its nutritive ratio but perhaps make it even better in 

 supplying albuminoids in the milk ration. The analysis of corn-germ feed or 

 corn-heart is as follows : Ash, 2.54 ; albuminoids, 10.87 ; carbohydrates, 56.87 ; 

 fat, 9.24 ; fibre, 8.30. If the oil is extracted, or a large part of it, it would change 

 its feeding value. And when compared with oats and corn, it is found only the 

 trifle of seven to eight cents per 100 Ibs. cheaper, and therefore doubtful econ- 

 omy to use it. 



S. uses the only completely reliable mill (French buhr stone), and will be 

 able to do the best grinding, having fine feed and not " chop." Let him grind 

 two bushels of oats with one bushel of corn into a fine meal, or what would be 

 much better, if he had cow peas grind equal parts by weight of oats, corn and 

 cow peas into a fine meal. This would easily balance his ration for milk. It is 

 not easy to make a proper balance with oats, corn and bran, but the following 

 formula will come very near it : 



Albuminoids. Carbohydrates. Fat. 



18 Ibs. good clover hay, ... 1.40 7.23 9.25 



6 " corn and oats, ground together, 0.53 3.10 0.28 



10 " wheat bran, .... 1.17 4.60 0.25 



Total 3.10 14.93 0.78 



This is a nutritive ratio of 1 to 5.4, and may be regarded as a well-balanced 

 milk ration, and it would be sufficient for large cows would, in fact, be well 

 adapted to the early development of the milk yield in the Holstein-Friesian. 

 But after it had been used for a considerable time, it would be improved by 

 using 8 Ibs. of corn and oats ground, or 6 Ibs. of wheat bran, with 2 Ibs. of cot' 

 tonseed meal. This would give it a nutritive ratio of 1 to 4.8. 



