AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 7:{ 



The best possible analysis of the evidence that is secured in this 

 case seems, however, to be entirely in favor of the conculsion that 

 pound for pound the Maine Field Corn Silage was worth more than 

 the Southern Corn silage, and that the difference was practically in 

 the proportion of the amount of digestible dry substance in the two 

 materials. This is the result which a careful consideration of the 

 facts learned in other ways would lead us to expect. 



THE INFLUENCE OF WIDELY DIFFERING RATIONS UPON THE QUANTITY 

 AND QUALITY OF MILK. 



There is no question more generally discussed by dairymen just at 

 this time than the influence of the food of a cow upon the amount 

 and kind of milk. It is agreed on all sides that the quantity of 

 milk is up to a certain limit very largely dependent upon the quan- 

 tity and kind of food. Many farmers also express themselves as 

 convinced that the quality of milk is materially modified by the 

 kind of food, and so we hear such expressions as "feeding for milk" 

 and -'feeding for butter," as though a ration that will cause an 

 increased flow of milk will not necessarily increase the butter 

 production. 



The opinion largety held by agricultural chemists and others who 

 regard this question in the light of the results of experiment and 

 investigation, is that the quality of milk is practically controlled by 

 the individuality of the animal and that within the limits of healthful 

 feeding the composition of the milk is not to be greatry influenced 

 by the kind of food. It is conceded that marked changes occur in 

 the milk of the same animal, such as daily variations, and variations 

 due to protracted lactation, changes of season, weather and other 

 causes not well defined. The fat in the milk may differ one per cent 

 on two successive days, without apparent cause, although at other 

 times a reasonable explanation may appear. The fact that when 

 cows are fed each day exactly the same quantity of the same kind of 

 food the milk does not remain constant in composition, but varies 

 to a material extent, furnishes an element of uncertaint3 7 in interpre- 

 ting the results of those feeding experiments which have for their 

 object a study of the influence of food upon milk. It is not always 

 easy to become satisfied that any change in the milk is due to a 

 known cause. 



Many experiments have been carried on for the purpose of throw- 

 ing light upon the problem here presented, and while the testimony 



