Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1897-05-07
Aarifaltnral.
Food Of Dairy Cattle.

Quite number of the experiment sta
tions have made tests in order to observe
the effects of the different cattle foods on
the milk aud butter produced. and the
Pennsylvania Station has given the sub
ject of cost, yield of milk, quality, ETC.,
much consideration. The New York
Station reports that butter made by feed
ing linseed meal to cows was soft, and
that from oats the best colored and hard
est though crumbly, but several stations
find that the butter from cotton-seed
meal is hard and the melting point
higher than that from bran. The Texas
and Pennsylvania Stations found butter
from cotton seed meal to be colorless
and the texture faulty. The New
Hampshire Station found butter from
gluten meal somewhat soft, and that
from hay harder than butter that was
produced when silage was fed Several
stations report an increase in the yields
of milk by the use of gluten meal. AT
the Michigan Station the yield of milk
was larger from silage than from corn
fodder, and at the Maine Station, when
corn silage and timothy hay were COM
pared the milk from the silage was bet
ter than that from hay, but at the Yer
mont Station hay gave better results
than silage. At several stations . change
from dry food to pasturage increased the
butter yield one-fourth Of pound per
COW per week, but, while the milk yield
was Increased, the quality was some
times reduced.
The individuality Of the COW has its
influence without regard to the kind Of
food, yet the food cannot be ignored.
Recognizing this fact, the stations could
only report results as they occurred dur
ing the progress of the experiments with
the animals selected. Combinations Of
foods may correct faults and give uni
formity to the butter If linseed meal
makes soft butter and cotton-seed meal
hardens it the farmer can utilize such
valuable foods by combining them in pro-
portions to derive the results for which
he aims, but in order to succeed he will
be compelled to study the characteristics
of each animal, its productive capacity,
the amount of food consumed and the
effects of different foods on each indi-
vidual in the herd. It is held by some
that the food is really Of secondary i'm
portance, more depending upon the ami
NAL, it being well established fact that
some cows will give milk containing
large proportion of butter fat, while
other cows, receiving the same kind Of
food. will yield milk with smaller per
centage, but it is conceded, however,
that in order to afford the largest profit
the food should be of the best quality.
The cheapest foods are those which
have been tested on the cows individu-
ally and increased the yield of milk and
butter at the lowest possible cost II
matters not whether such foods are pur-
chased and brought on the farm or grown
thereon. Ii the farmer can utilize foods
OF the farm that cannot be disposed Of
except for the production of milk or
butter he will create home market aud
gain by the transaction, but there are
foods which be must purchase if he is
to compete with others, such as bran,
middlings. liuseed meal. cotton seed
meal and brewers grains. His gain
will be 10 the addition to his manure,
which is to increase the fertility of his
soil. The pasture is another source
which may cheaper the cost, but pasture
grass is watery and it will be an advan-
tsge to supplement green food with 9th
ers that are more concentrated The
cheapest food that can be produced on
the farm is ensilage, but ensilage gives
tho largest production when used in con-
nection with other foods. The produce
ton of milk aud butter must be with
the object of increasing the amount Of
manure, and the manure is valuable only
10 proportion as to the value of the food
from which it is derived, which fact
must at all times be chief considera.
tinn