The Louisiana populist., 1897-05-07
EFFECTS OF DROUGHT UPON
MILK.

A bulletin from the New York agri-
cultural experiment station treats OF
the effects of drought upon milk pro-
duction. The object Of the bulletin IS
to show the results of study OF the
during the season of 1897 from May !
to November !. The purpose OF this
milk production OF fifty herds of COWS
study was determine the changes in
the composition Of milk as affecting
the yield of butter and cheese, espe-
cially the latter, as we'll as to ascer-
tain the variations in the actual pro-
duction from these herds during this
period of time, when The cows receiv-
ed only such food as the pastures af-
forded. The following is a general
summary OF results
l. With the exception of the month
of September, the pounds of fat in 100
pounds of milk increased steadily from
May to November.
g. The percentage of casein dimin-
ished through May, June and July,
and then increased through August,
September and October.
8. The cheese-producing power OK
100 pounds of milk decreased through
May, June and July, and then steadily
and rapidly increased through August,
September and October.
4. The total cheese yield was the
largest in June, and then rapidly di-
minished through July, August, Sep
tember and October, with the exception
of an increase over the yield of the pre-
ceding year. The same could be said
of the butter capacity of the total milk
produced.
The most Significant fact presented
Ii this bulletin is that the cheese yield
in August from this fifty herds was
about 40 per cent. less than that in
June, a fact due almost entirely to the
lack of sufficient food, condition
which almost any farmer who pro-
vides soiling crops for his cows would
have escaped. In order to show that
such decrease may be avoided, DR..
Van Slyke compares the production OF
these fifty herds with the production
| of the station herd during a CORE
spending period OF lactation. The de-
crease in production from the station
herd amounts to less than 10 per cent,
as compared with 40 per cent. fol
those herds which suffered the vicis.
situdes of dry pastures without any ad'
ditional food, the explanation OF this
difference being that the station hero
is uniformly well fed, and is supplied
with silage and soiling crops during
the entire year.
Those farmers and others who holt
that the quality Of the milk is yer!
largely under the control Of the food
and that the milk is richer in proper
ton as the food is richer and NOR
abundant, may have some difficulty II
explaining why 100 pounds OF milk
produced in August, on dry pastures
contained a higher per, cent. OF solid
than during June, when the pasture
were in first-class condition. The Aug
ust milk was richer in butter fat tha
the June milk, and no less in caseir
DR.. Van Slyke urges that farmers pre-
vide against the possible insufficier
supply Of food from the pastures b
growing soiling crops and by the us
of silage in the summer, which, in tt
case of 600 cows in the herds studies
he estimated would have increased II
cheese product $4,000 pounds, thus s.
curing S. more per cow.-Detroit FRI
Press.
h The New York Tombs prison is door
s ed, and new seven-story structu
J. is to be erected on Its site. The cost
, the new prison will be about $7o0, ,o0t
al ~ + y