The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-05-12
The Food Sources of Protein.

Argue as we will, pro or con, as to the
truth or falsity of food having no influ-
ence to make milk richer or poorer, the
fact remains that to keep COW up to her
individual full flow of milk, thin or rich
in fats, she must have ration well
proportional in protein, at the rate of
fully % pounds of digestible protein to
13 pounds of digestible starch. What
appropriation one COW may make of the
protein she consumes to make only IL
pounds of 3 per cent milk, when an
other COW on exactly the same food will
milk out 30 pounds of 4 per cent milk,
is sealed book to the student thus far,
but it remains fact that to cut down
on this protein ration very much af-
fects the quantity of the milk very soon.
While we may not wholly account for
the source of all the butter fats in the
milk of our larger butter-making cows,
it does seem that there is sort of
agreement about the proteins of the
food, and the milk element known as
casein. Explain it as we may, that
milk is only elaborated blood, or a
broken down cell growth, or a secre-
ton of gland; there is warrant in
saying that the source of the casein is
protein foods, and is, after many or few
changes, recompOsed back into protein
in the form of casein.
Now, what are the food sources of
protein, and how can the farmer pro.
cure, raise or buy this element the
cheapest? In all foods this element is
the most costly part of the compound,
Just as it is in the fertilizer trade, but
not nearly so uncertain. On the farm
it is most abundant in the clover and
pea crops, and conspicuous only in
these two of our ordinary crops. The
most pronounced protein feed to be
purchased is cottonseed, oil and gluten
feed meals. Bran is the most gener.
ally fed of the protein foods, and the
best liked as an all-round grain. Oats
are little above the average in pro-
tein, but are too expensive grain to
feed to COWS, as all owe, the central and
eastern states they are usually, includ-
ing the grinding, half higher in price
per ton than bran, and but few dairy
men do not consider bran as the equal
of oats for milk, making pound for
pound.
This is q most practical question to
be solved. There are many who are
contending that all the grain needed
shall be raised upon the farm; but sup
posing that a man has eight tons of
oats and can exchange them for twelve
tons of bran, and feeds the bran in
their place, has he not made better
return for the feed than if the oats had
been fed? In this matter of home
raising of feeds, there is no doubt that
our later notions about the silo, shred
ded fodder, and mass of other knowl-
edge gained about the growing and
feeding of our great corn crop, has
pretty nearly settled the starch or car
bo.hydrate side of the ration, and we
need only apply what we know along
this line to be all right; but when it
comes to the protein supply, the mat
ter, as is seen, is not 30 easy-unless
we bring the traditional Yankee "swap"
into the transaction, and get the other
fellows protein fertility for COW feed
for some of our starch crops like corn
and potatoes, there will always be a
false economy about feeding our home
grown grain.
In some quarters there is great ex-
pectancy in mixing fax and even bean
crops into the ration in some way, and
some in Ontario have tried this men.
toned mixed soiling crop, and think
we'll of it up in those high ATTITUDES
This thought in connection with the
buying of proteins: Where the liquids
Of the stable are carefully saved and
applied to the land without their leach
ing away, it seems settled that fully
so per cent. of this protein fed is &C
counted for in the stable fertility al
nitrates; so that between buying pro-
tein foods and fertilizer, it would seen
to be the wisest course to buy the pro-
tein food, feed it to make 81 per 100 Id
milk and use the so per cent residue
largely in place OF 1872 phosphate. This
is an intensely important question, ant
has mot little to do in solving tn,
dairy problems of to-day. What is The
reader doing about it?-John Gould il
County Gentleman.