COWS GIVE MORE MILK TO MUSIC

Evening Star, Issue 19550, 7 May 1927, Page 10

COWS GIVE MORE MILK TO MUSIC

The astonishing observation that music makes cows and goals give increased quantities of milk is reported by two German physiologists, Drs Nebert and Koch, says Dr E. E. Free's 1 Week s Science,' New York. It is not necessary to keep the cows or other animals in a continual environment of the concert room. All that the experimenters did_ was to arrange that music be played in the stable during the milking. The invariable result was that the animals being milked yielded more milk with music than without it. There is no record of the effect of different kinds of music; of whether ja?a or classical opera possesses the highest milk-cliciting_ properties. The observation was not entirely unexpected, for it has long been believed by scientific students of the way in which milk is produced by the milk-giving animals, that nervous stimuli have pronounced effects on this process. _ Although cows are not commonly imagined to possess highly strung nervous systems, it is known that things tending to excite them may interfere seriously .with, the yield of milk. On the other “ and > is probable that surroundings which calm the nerves and. prevent fear or excitement are favorable to milk production. Although Dt Nebert and Dr Koch promise no practical application of their discoveries to the dairy industry, it u probable that some enterprising farmer will soon try the effects of milkmgtirae radio programmes, or ot phonograph concerts on his milk-yielding stock.