Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1898-10-06

Food Influence on MIX.
| When all factors are taken INTO &C
count. it can easily be seen that
possible effect of the food on the milk
must be reduced to very small pro-
portion indeed, writes p. Mcconnell IN
Agricultural Gazette, England. 1t Is
of course acknowledged that the
amount Of food, and the richness OF
the same, influence the quantity OF the
milk and that this influence is imme-
diate, and it has been shown that the
nature of the food has very great
influence on the percentage of cream
which can be taken off milk by the
Old flat pan system, or the proportion
of butter which can be made out of
given quantity Of milk, by even the
most modern appliances; but this in
fluence operates actually, without in
huencing the analysis of the milk it
self. The amount of cream thrown up
ON milk is such misleading guide
that it has long ago been given up in
the milking tests of the British Dairy
Farmers Association, and we now de-
pend on an analysis alone, while
American experiments have shown
that in the amount of butter which can
be recovered from given quantity OF
milk there may be variation of as
much as SO per cent, depending on the
nature of the food given, while all the
while the analyses of two differing
milks may be approximately alike; in
other words as l have often explained
before, the visibility" of the cream
and the "churnability' of the same
are largely Influenced by the nature of
the food, while the chemical analysis
OF the milk is not influenced at all, or
| only to slight degree, or temporarily.
The whole question, to my mind,
| narrows itself down to one point; CIV
en- that the proper average food for
! cow weighing 1000 pounds is rs
pounds of dry matter. having an albu-
mlnoid ratio of 1855, can whilst
| still maintaining the Is pounds Of total
solids-by alternating the albuminoid
ratio also alter the proportion Of fat
IN the milk? That is to say. if feed
COW in the proportion of is, as
|
dlrerence in the percentage of butter
fat in the milk yielded? say no. My
opponents say yes. In reply l ask for
evidence that my statement is wrong.
and, hitherto, none has been forthcom-
ing. The only experiments carried out
IN this country bearing on this partic-
ular point that are of any Importance,
7 nf Mr.,
Spler as detailed in the Transactions
OF the Highland and Agricultural So
clety of Scotland, and they decidedly
bear out my contention. On the other
hand, hundreds, perhaps l may say
thousands, Of experiments have been
carried out in America by many agri-
| cultural colleges and experimental sta
tions, and Professor Henry, in his re-
cent work, sums up the results in ia
vor of my contention. The Vernon
experiments, carried out by Mr. Lloyd
some ten years ago. did not bear on
this point at all, and, indeed, were
carried out for another purpose alto
sether, but, incidentally. prove my
theory. Further, this theory was enun-
ciated by Kuhn, in Germany, more
than five and twenty years ago, while
it is now eight years since I first got
my faith shaken in the old belief and
had to reconstruct my creed in the
matter. am open to accept evidence
on the point, when such is forthcom-
ing, but all the evidence known to me
on this point of any value bears out
my theory. The point is of great prac-
tical Importance, because it is known
and acknowledged that the albuminoid
material in the food goes directly to
the production Of fat in the milk and,
as albuminoid material is the dearest
kind of food that we can buy in the
market, if we can reduce the amount
necessary to keep cow in full bearing
condition, we are reducing the cost of
her feeding; as when we substitute
such cheaper foods as maize meal, mid
dlings and so on.
Some one may suggest that, if an an
imal getting food in the proportion of
16 is doing we'll enough, why not re-
duee it to- ITO or more, or, if the ami
NAL yields richer milk by getting Ia,
WHY uOI llIClcd IL ny LIZ. lie reply
is, that when you depart, either up
or down, too far away from the aver
age standard, you introduce new fac
tor, namely, the health Of the animal;
and this, itself, will have great in
f1uence on the quality as we'll as the
quantity of milk. If the food is ex-
cessively rich, or excessively poor, the
digestive organs of the cow will be
upset, and dietetic diseases Of various
sorts, such as indigestion, bile, and
even hunger, show themselves, and
these directly affect the milk yield.
One does not break with the beliefs
of his youth very easily, and l have
been hard to convince, myself, that
the quality of the milk did mot directly
depend on the quality of the food; but
when all the experiments that have
| actually been tried on the point bear
! out the new theory, and when all the
4 ordinary beliefs of the practical man
can be explained away under one. or
other Of the above influences, and