Evening star., 1947-10-26
Yield of Milk
Increased by
Use of Drugs
By james BirchfjeId

1t may be that drugs will be &C
cepted in the future as legitimate
means of increasing milk and butter
fat production from dairy COWS.
Scientists at Virginia Polytechnic
Institute report that cows given
from one to several ounces in their
daily ration of iodinated casein,
thyroprotein, thyrocasein and 10
dinated protein produced up to 40
per cent more milk than cows left
on normal rationS.
Scientists reported that the
hoped cows were turned into
nothing more than milk and butter
fat factories, and that they were
inclined to loose weight rapidly if
their feed was not increased along
with the drug doses. In fact. one
Jersey COW lost 200 pounds in 10
weeks in the experiments.
A cow dosed with iodinated casein,
scientists said, will have a more
rapid heart beat-she lives faster,
exhibiting many OF the symptoms
observed in humans with an over
active thyroid gland. Since it is
still too early to determine if cows
thus dosed will have shorter lives,
dairy specialists warned dairymen
against trying the experiments on
home herds.
With the incentive OF high prices,
dairymen are emphasizing the i'm
portance of increasing milk produc-
ton. Little regard is given to the
nutritive value of the milk thus
produced. It may be that when the
production race is over science will
find that it is more important to
the consumer to have little less
quantity and a little more quality
in the milk that forms a part of the
daily diet.
Farm Housing Study.
1t seems that the farmer at last
is going to get some help on his
housing problem.
P. B. Potter, agricultural engineer
at v. P. T., asserting that improved
farm housing is one of the greatest
present rural needs, said the Vir-
ginia Agricultural Experiment Sta
ton will launch a program that
should fill the gap caused by an
almost total lack of research on
farm housing.
Mr.. Potter said researchers will
investigate new materials now COM
ing on the market to determine
those best suited to rural construc-
ton. They also will investigate
such housing problems as wet base
ments, simple heating systems and
simple, built-in home equipment.
He said engineers will attempt to
achieve low-cost housing largely
through cost-reducing building prac-
tices rather than by cheapening
materials used.
Corn Conservation Note.
Barry specialists at " P. I. have
reported that the amount of vitamin
A and related carotin In milk was
found to increase substantially when
dehydrated sweet potatoes were sub
stituted for corn in rations fed to
dairy cattle.
In studies made on ~ Holstein
cows, it was found that milk produc-
ton dropped only slightly when the
sweet potatoes were substituted for
corn, and that the butterfat con-
tent remained about the same. The
increase in vitamin A and carotin,
which is converted to vitamin A by
the human body, was described as
highly desirable"
Dairy specialists pointed out that
frequently there are surpluses of
w-grade sweet potatoes that could
be economically dehydrates for dairy
feed.
Farm Forestry Demonstration.
The Maryland Department of For
estry will give demonstration on
farm forestry from 9 am. to noon
Tuesday at T. B.. Md. according
to r. A. Luedtke. forester stationed
at Laurel The demonstration will
be held at the Gwyn Park High |
School
The goth annual session of the
Virginia Grange will be held Tues
day, Wednesday and Thursday at
Richmond. Included on the three
day program will be an address
Tuesday evening by DR.. Francis P.
Gaines, president of Washington
and Lee University, on Robert E.
Lees Interest in Agriculture, and
on Wednesday morning by j. Mel
vile Broughton, former Governor
of North Carolina, on Problems of
the South and the Part the Grange
can Play in the Solution" DR.. Paul.
D. Saunders, editor of the Southern
Planter and State Grange master,
will preside
SWV AuxiliarieS