ON THE MILK OF THE COW. 
327 
days only. At the expiration of the time the milk was examined, and found to have the fol¬ 
lowing composition : 
Water,. 
Dry,... 
Casein, 
Butter, 
Sugar,. 
86*57 
13*25 
3*10 
5*55 
4*60 
I had, I confess, formed the opinion that the sugar would be increased, at the expense of the 
other elements. It seems that the casein is diminished, but the butter, though also less, is not 
so much affected as the casein. The quantity of milk if any thing increased, but it is rather 
more watery. The carrots would have been continued longer but for the return of cold 
weather, which on the morning of the 19th of January was 10° below zero, a temperature en¬ 
tirely unsuited to food which is as watery as carrots and potatoes. The brief period during 
which the cow was fed in this way renders it necessary to repeat the experiment: I have however 
become satisfied that the influence of the food on the milk may be seen in forty-eight hours after 
a change of diet; still a repetition will be required, in order to confirm or disprove the special 
influence of the food in this case. 
About this time I observed that the slops or distillers’ swill was used for food, both for cows 
and hogs. It is a thin, gray, watery looking compound, and is distributed hot to the cus¬ 
tomers, at about six pence per barrel. It is used to wet the hay, when hay enters into the ra¬ 
tions of the cow, or drank if hay is not allowed ; the cow is said to be fond of it. I procured 
some milk from a neighbor, who fed his cow in part upon this matter. I expected to find the 
milk watery, and so I was not disappointed, though it was better than I expected. 
Specific gravity, 1025*56. Ash, *77 per cent. 
Water,. 8S*19 
Dry. 11*81 
Casein,. 3*03 
Butter,. 5*03 
Sugar,. 3*75 
I have a favorable opinion of a cow which gives milk made from slops of the distillery : the 
cow however received her allowance of slops in the most unexceptionable way ; hay moistened 
or wet with nutritious matter is improved, becoming more digestable and more easily masticated, 
and of course better prepared for digestion. I have no doubt it is important in the economy 
of the cow, and of all animals furnished with teeth, that they should be used. All slops, under 
any circumstances, would ruin a chewing animal, and much of the evil experienced by cows 
kept in stables in cities is the soft nature of the food with which they are furnished. The 
disuse of the organs of mastication, and those of locomotion, are undoubtedly the cause of the 
diseases under which they so speedily suffer. There is another fact which proves the good 
