FEEDING DAIRY CATTLE 211 



results that careful investigations have been trying to secure for 

 the last three decades, and so far they have met with little or no 

 success. 



It is asserted that the food may affect the milk in many 

 ways, the two most important being its composition and its 

 flavor. There are three ways in which the composition 

 might be affected : First, by changing the proportion of water 

 and total sohd matter ; second, by changing the proportion of 

 fat, sugar, and proteids ; and third, by changing the constitu- 

 ents or consistency of the fat. 



Effect of food on total solids. — In the great majority of cases 

 the conclusion of experiments is that no consistent relation 

 seems to exist between the quantity or character of the food 

 and the composition of the milk. In a few cases a temporary 

 change occurred in the milk immediately after changing the 

 food, but in most cases the milk soon returned to its normal 

 composition. While in a very small number of experiments the 

 milk appeared to undergo shght permanent change, yet one is 

 forced to the conclusion that the quality of the milk cannot be 

 changed at will by the feed. It would seem that the treatment 

 of the cattle has a greater influence upon the character of the 

 milk than does the food consumed. 



Effect of food on the percentage of fat. — The idea prevails 

 that it is possible to feed fat into milk. This problem has been 

 the subject of careful experimentation. After a painstaking 

 perusal of the work one is forced to conclude that it is not pos- 

 sible materially and permanently to increase or diminish the 

 percentage of fat by changes in the amount and character of 

 the food, providing, of course, that the animals receive sufficient 

 nutrition in all cases. It may be possible with a cow that has 

 been insufficiently fed and has never had a chance to develop, 

 to feed her such an abundance of rich milk-producing food as 

 slightly and permanently to increase the percentage of fat in 

 her milk ; but beyond this we probably cannot go. 



