A WONDERFUL PRODUCER.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13741, 24 May 1910, Page 10

A WONDERFUL PRODUCER.

ONE COW EQUALS FOUR STEERS

A Holstein cow owned by the dairy department of the. University of Missouri in one year produced more human food in her milk than is contained in the complete carcases of four steers weighing 1250 pounds each. This statement, impossible as it seems, is not only true, but does not even do justice to the cow., The.solids in the milk which aro completely digested and used by the body are counted against tho entire carcase of the steer which is only in part edible.

Tho cow that performed this feat of producing tho equivalent of four steers is' Princess Carlotta. In tho year :hc produced 18,405 pounds of milk. Below is given the amount of proteids, fat. sugar, and ash contained in. this milk and the amount of the same substances found by Dr. P. I*. Trowbridge in an analysis made of the carcases *>t a fat steer weighing-: 1250 pounds :— , , ■ 18,4051b 12501b Milk. Carcase. Proteid - -.'. . . ::. 55211) 1721b Fat .. •*•" 6181b 3'131b I Sugar .. •• 920' b ~ Ash .. ... 1281b 431b - Total ..'■■•. 22181b 5481b The total amount of dry matter in the milk was-2218 pounds, all of which is ediblo and digestible. j. Tlio steer, with a live wpight of 1250 'pounds, contained ,56\ per cent, nl water in tho carcase, leaving a total of 548 pounds of dry matter. In thindry matter of tho steer is included hair and hide, bones and tendons, • organs of digestion and respiration; ' i i fact, tho entire animal, a cbnsid'r-al-le portion of whinh is not. edible. The analysis of tho,- steer's care-ie was made from samples taken aftur grinding up together one-half of tho complete carcase, and is not in. any sense an estimation of the composition of the carcase; Princess" Carlotta "produced proteids sufficient for more tnan three ste«rs; nearly fat enough for two; ash enough to build the skeletons for three, and ii addition, produced 92Q ; pounds of milk | sugar worth as much per pound for ; food as ordinary sugar. . These figures show tho remarkable ' efficiency of the row as a producer of human " food. . It is because of this -. economical; use of food that the dairy cow and not'the steer,is Kept on highpriced lands. When land is cheap anfeed abuudnnt the meat producing animals predominate, but when the land becomes high in value and feed expensive tho firmer' turns to the dairy cow.