Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-08
Government Farm at BeltSville
Aids in Efficient Milk Production
Under SpciaAp

By A. G. WEST.
+" HE first real step ever taken
! by the Government to coop
crate with the farmer has just
| Il been started with specific
appropriation passed at the
last session Of Congress. Heretofore
| the Department Of Agriculture has
gathered data useful to agricultural
interests and done q great deal to en-
| courage farming, but provision for the
| expenses was made from what was
known as the contingent fund" I'm
I der the new act there will be sum
Of 100000 to draw on, and the aim
will be to create conditions Of market
| ing or production that will cause ulti-
| mate prosperity to the farmers
| throughout the Nation.
| The bill, signed by President Cool
| idge three weeks ago, will permit the
new division Of cooperative market
ing. under the leadership Of Chris L.
| Christensen. to give the same atten-
! ton to marketing as previously has
! been done for the problems OF pro-
duction.
; Experts on butter. cheese, milk,
fruit. eggs and other similar produce
will be sent to various sections OF the
| Nation as observers. and to Europe to
compare notes with methods used
abroad.
Denmark has made tremendous
strides since it started cooperating
organizations in 1882, and though
notably small nation in point Of size,
| contributes almost 20 per cent of the
export butter Of the globe. 1t Is our
| own State Of Minnesota that has won
| nine-tenths OF the prizes awarded for
| fine butter. and it will be to the ulti-
| mate gain Of the consumer to find
means Of lowering the costs. as today
about $35 100000 worth Of butter Is
produced in the United States by the
200, 600 dairy farmers.
Thus the present fine dairy farm at
the Beltsville, Md. Agricultural Sta
ton will actively cooperate with the
dairy owner Of the South or West or
other section Of the Nation still more
in the future than has been the case
in the past. for. while latest methods
in actually caring for the herds are
still under way, newer selling oppor-
tunities will be opened up as the div1-
sion lately created gains headway.
THE romantic profession Of tea and
coffee faster has a new develop
ment since the scientists at the Blu.
| reau of Dairying at the Government
farm at BeltSVille commenced their
experiments in testing the flavor and
| odor Of milk from cows that have been
fed with grape leaves.
This Is only one Of a number of in
teresting Investigations that are being
worked out under the direction of DR..
l.. A. Rogers of the research labora-
tory, and involves the daily testing of
220 gallons of special milk from a
specially selected group of cows.
Thirty pounds of the grape feed are
fed to three Of the thoroughbred test
COWS before milking, early in the
| morning. A second group receives
the new diet late at night. Three
other cows receive only 10 pounds.
an hour before being MIXED while a
fourth squad is offered only grain and
hay, as a check on the skill of the
Government tasters.
Such a group Is housed in a barn
of the finest type and allowed out in
a fenced yard for two hours a day. in
order that no illegal hay or alfalfa
or unweighed water may be con-
sumed by the group in question.
Usually such test goes on for 365
days, and in the case Of nutrition