New YorRK AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 65 
A reduction in the amount of protein when between 2 Ibs. 
and 2.25 lbs. was followed by more than the usual shrinkage in 
milk flow. An increase of the protein when between 2 and 2.25 
lbs. was followed, on the whole, by less than the usual shrinkage. 
While reduction of the protein when between 2.25 Ibs. and 
2.5 lbs. was followed by excessive diminution in milk flow, there 
was an accompanying reduction of total nutrients which would 
largely account for it. An increase in the amount of protein 
when between 2.25 and 2.5 lbs. was followed by very much less 
than the usual shrinkage of milk. 
A reduction in the amount of protein when above 2.5 lbs. was 
followed by favorable results on the average for 123 records. 
The natural shrinkage in milk flow was retarded. The cost of 
production was not affected. An increase of the protein when 
above 2.5 Ibs. is shown by only a few records—in these, however, 
there followed twice the usual shrinkage in milk flow. 
NUTRITIVE! RATIO. 
Changes in the nutritive ratio within the ordinary limits had 
considerably less influence on the milk flow than did changes 
in the amount of total nutrients. In general, however, a nar- 
rowing of the ratio had a favorable effect on milk production, 
while a widening of the ratio tended toward the reverse. 
When but little change in the amount of total nutrients oc- 
curred, a narrowing of the ratio was followed by less than the 
usual decrease in milk yield and a widening of the ratio by more 
than the usual decrease. 
With an increase in the amount of total nutrients a narrowing 
of the ratio was followed by an increase in milk yield. A widen- 
ing of the ratio was followed by a decrease (to less than the 
usual extent) although the average increase of total nutrients 
was nearly a pound greater than when the ratio was narrowed. 
With a reduction in the amount of total nutrients of 10 or 12 
per ct., there followed about the same average shrinkage in milk 
flow whether the ratio was narrowed or widened. 
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