414 Abstract Report of Agricultural Discussions. 
matter as the quantity and quality of the food whicli is given some 
tliree or foiu" liom-s before milking. I have traced this distinctly. 
At one time I have found the milk of om* dairy stock poor in the 
evening. The cows were then out at grass, and had not a sufficient 
supply ; they received in the evening oilcake and rapecake, and then 
they produced in the morning richer milk, showing plainly the effect 
of the food ui^on the morning milk. At another time, in the winter, 
I found that, when the cows were fed in the morning and in the middle 
of the day with barley-meal and rapecake, they produced richei' 
evening milk. I believe then that the quality of the milk is affected 
by the food, and by the time at which food is given to cows. 
The race, and breed, and size of the animal have also an important 
influence on the quality of the milk. The Alderneys, the Chatelaynes, 
&c., are too well kno^vn to practical men for the rich quality of theii- 
milk to need any comment on my part. It is generally believed that 
thoroughbred cows do not produce so much or so rich a milk as the 
common dairy stock — that grass-fed stock produces more and a better 
description of milk. Some experiments wliich I have made on this 
subject have given me a rather unexpected result, from which I cannot 
di-aw satisfactory inferences. 
In the month of September, 1860, I selected three cows from 
the common dairy stock and thi-ee pedigree shorthorns. They were 
kept in the neighboiu-hood of Bristol, on what is at present Mi'. 
Stratton's farm, which was then in the occupation of Mr. Proctor, 
being fed upon good pastm-e-land. After a time the cows received, 
besides the grass, 1 lb. apiece of excellent linseed, and in a week's 
time a second pound was added. I carefully ascertained the quan- 
tity and the quality of the milk at different periods, but could not 
discover much difference in the milk given severally by the two 
kinds of cows, nor any perceptible change in the quantity or 
quality given by either when the richer food was supplied. Thus the 
common cows yielded milk which gave nearly 4 per cent, of butter, 
and the thoroughbred shorthorns gave a milk of the same quality 
within one-fifth per cent. The total amount of solid matter in both 
cases was the same. The quantity of milk produced by the three 
pedigree cows, kept on grass alone, amounted to 28 joints in the morn- 
ing and 21 in the evening, making together 49 pints. The common 
dairy stock produced rather more than 31 pints in the morning and 
21 in the evening, making together 52 pints. When they received 
1 lb. of cake per cow, the thi-eo pedigree cows gave in the morning 
26^ pints, and in the evening 22, making together 48|^ pints. The 
three common dairy cows produced in the morning 28J pints, and 
in the evening 18, making together 46^ pints. When 2 lbs. of cake 
were given to each cow, the three pedigree cows produced 26|^ i)ints 
in the morning and 21 in the evening, in all 47^ pints ; whereas 
the thi'ee common dairy cows, with the same quantity of cake, 
produced 30 pints in the morning and 19 in the evening, in all 
49 pints. It follows from this, that, whilst the quality of the milk 
was not materially bettered, the quantity became slightly less, espe- 
cially in the case of the three ordinary cows. It would appear, 
