THE RECENT PROSECUTIONS FOR INFERIOR MILK.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 278, 21 November 1913, Page 11

THE RECENT PROSECUTIONS FOR INFERIOR MILK.

— _ In fixing the milk standard at 3.23 per ; o»-ru the authorities recognised that there I iim«t he some well-defined legal limit ( below which tlie quality of milk vended j j should not In.- Kllnw*d to go, sav.t tin[••Otajro Witn,--.- Thi.- stipulation ■ phicv. the dairyman in mi unfair positi'.n, because at times some of hU cows , wiil pi\e ir.ilk beluw the standard with-| I on; any watering, and he is not allowed ;tu -ell it. and lie gets nothing more for ■ I milk ivi;h twice the butter-fat content, j J Tin' lmtt.T factory discriminates by pay-J : ing. fur thu actual butter-fat in the'niilk; but the .htoc i.ici.irv and the town con- ' fiinnT.- fail i,i acknowledge a siq><?rior article by giving an increased price for it. TV Dairy (.'ommij-ioner lias frequently suggested that such a system might bu | iiiiprovpd upon, and it U quire possible to ! ilt. ?r>. but at souio i>xpi-n.*e. In every ] iit'rd cows of th«> same ape ami breed (v<l i .'ii the s.ini-p lines und treated similarly in I rvpry \.-nv yet vary matcrialk in the | amount of butter-fat content in their ' milk. Some of thorn habitually yield milk j below the standard, others above it: and j sonii'.Llineo the general average after the j milk i- jnixed topethpr will be below the standard. Some uf the causes wlilrh brinpr this ab'jut arc prevenf.ible, otlu-rs are ijuite naturally t!i<- r.-ult of causes I over "hi'h the dairyman has little practical control, such a.- the period of lactation, the of the cattle, anl the inrerval between milking. Thero are otiier minor causes of disturbaniN' uhk-h temporarily upset the susceptible animals and cause irregular variations both in quantity 'and quality; but. generally the different yields of fat are hereditary, and I the quality of the herd can be raised by ! weeding out the cows yielding poor milk : and breeding from thew which yield a ; fair standard of fat. The process is one ; which involves time and persistence, but will result in a permanent improvement :of the milk. The time occupied in raising the Ftjjidard of any herd might be : shortened by employing bulls of the race i which is known to produiv milk of a '< high proportion of fat. The following j table, showing the average analysis of ■ milk from ;he different breed?, is quoted by Mr A. D. Hall, late the Director of Rotham«t<?d. The percentage of fat in I the milk of the different breeds is as I fo!lo">v5: — I

Thus by using a Jersey bull for a year or I two the process would ue 'Hie quality of the morninjj'.-; milk may also be raided hy making- the intervals Ixjtween the milkiiurs as nearly equal as possible. It is generally found that after a long interval the quantity is increased, while the quality fails away. From the saino source we learn that the variations of yield and composition of milk with the 1 interval of milking arc- as follow;

lit would therefore apppar that when ! cow 3 are milked twice daily, and the milk is well mixed before delivery in tlie moraine, there i- no excuse from this source lor lo«'-pTade milk when the intervals • between the milking* are equal. Kroni i tIK--e particulars it «;',] h" seen that the I vendor of milk requires to r.dopt indivi- : dual co\v-tcstin». The opra.'ional test will ] enable him ai once to single out tii-e cows ' whi'.'h ar- bringing the mixi'J milk 'below j ihi- li-g.il ?t:indani. With the means at i hand to test his ro«~, no up-to-date ' duiryman has any excuse for supplying I milk below the standard. I

Jersey G»»tii>pt .. i;.-a I'oll ... Shorthorn .. Ayrshire ... Hulsteia .... Tpit.h. England. 4.34 4.1C New Jprspv, r.s.A. 4.7* rs.flTi ::.r.i riase Show, mm. 4. li!l 4.47 i

Mnrninf; milk. Yield. <.i fat. Evening milk. Yield, 'i fat. Thirteon anil 11 hours.. 1.2 3.1S and I Equal intervals 1.U3 ~:.G4 I £i.-twn and eij-'Uc buurs 1.3 2..-53 1 3.S 1 4.2''! 1 3.40 1 4.47 I