DAIRY ITEMS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11151, 18 December 1901, Page 10

DAIRY ITEMS.

It lias now been fuUv demonstrated that to keep milk pure ana uncontaminated in the summer, it should, as soon as it i s drawn from the cow, be cooled to a temperature of 50 degrees, or below. By thi« means the danger from bacteria will be minimised In the United States dairy science has been brought to a high pitch of perfection. It has found out that number of bacteria, which fall into the milk from an apparently clean but unwashed udder is 2,020, as compared with 90 when the udder has been washed just before milking. At a temperature of 93 uegrecs germs common to milk multiply two-hundredfold in one hour, while at 55 degrees only eightfold, naid at 46 degrees are practically inactive. The following system of cooling is recommended : —"Th« most economical way to secure cooling is with the so-called 'shotgun' cans (about Bin in diameter ancr 2iJin deep, set in cold s water, using ice if poseible; if not,, use cold well water. In the latter case it is well to change the water in a couple of hours. These cans may be eet in any box, vat, tank, or barrel, which will surround them with water as high up es the milk comes. At the end of 12 hours if the cans and vats are needed, the cream may be dipped off with a cup, or, better, a conical skimmer; if not needed, a more thorough creaming will be secured if allowed to stand 24 hours. The 'cream can , should be kept in the cold water until enough cream is secured for a churning. It should be thoroughly stirred when fresh cream is added, and none should be put in for 24 hours before churning. During this time the cream should warm up to about 65 degrees to ripen the churning. Three hours before churning, it may be cooled "tlown to 55 or 58 degrees. This will make tho butter 'come , harder than if churned immediately after reaching the 'sburning temperature." The system is not cumbersome, is easy of application, and might be adopted by all dairy farmers who make their own butter. i In feeding calves skim-milk, the three essentials seem to be to give it to them warm, sweet, often, and in small quantities. Tho'temperature of the milk should be 90 t«j 100 degrees F. There is no doubt that many of the derangements to which .calves ' are subject orginate from feeding cold milk, particularly if it has become sour or partly decomposed. The question of the quantity of feed is nil important, and not easily decided, as it depends so much on the individuality of the calf. In general, the calf should be allowed to stay with the cow for two days, then for two weeks more he should have the whole milk in limited quantities. From six to eight pounds daily divided into two, or, better, three, feeds is enough for no average-sized calf. This amount will be sufficient for the first month, after which it may be increased to 151b. and even 201b per head daily, in the case ot strong calves. There are different plans of transferring the calf from whole to . akimmilk, but as good as any is to substitute it gradually by putting small quantities at * tune into tho whole nu'Jk, beginning with one-third, and in a couple of weeks making it all skimmed milk. If a separator .is available, the other plan is to run it so an to reduce gradually the amount of fat that i<l in the milk that goes to the calves. In the second month, feeding twice a day will generally be sufficient. The question as to what supplementary foods to feed is very important. It hoe generally been considered that flax seed or oilmeal would make the best addition to the calves' rations, it being reasoned that, as the fat was removed from the milk,. the flax -seed, being rich in this, would 4>e the best to replace it. Experimental work along these lines at the -lowa 'Station shows very clearly that the most eatifffactory result* will be obtained from [feeding maize meal or oats instead, of all lineal or flax seed. Not only are • they cheaper, but they make a more satisfactory combination, all things considered. When ■ fcalvee are fed on grain, after receiving milk, they are not, likely to contract the habit of HUcEirig each other's ears. . It- is more satisfactory to feed such grain dry; and not In the milk, as it seems that the calves keep • thriftier by that system. In addition to ' grain, the calves should ibave fine hay or . somo othtr rich relish jgiven them quite early in- life. They -will begin to pick at it when a few weeks old. The idea in doing this is to get the calves to eating both grain and hay as early «s possible. Provide clean, fresh, light and •■w«tl ventilated quarters. Use only tin pails Sot feeding milk, and keep them absolutely Iclean. Stole feed of all kinds must be i avoided. >. A new system of butter making has recently *be£n under trial in Canada, but the results so far .achieved with it do not indicate that it is likely to prove an improvement on the older methods at present in vogue. The new plan, or process, con* eiste of blowing water, previously warmed ito a temperature of about 80 degrees P., through Well-ripened cream contained in a cylindrical glass vessel. The apparatus used in this new process consists, of a double-acting air pump which forces air througn the bottom of copper vessels 13 in in-diameter and 16in high. This copper vessel contains watef heated to a temperature of 85 to 90 degrees F. After passing through the water the air is conducted from tho copper vessel by a niece of iron tubing to the, nottom of the "churn" where it escapes through a number of small holes pierced in the*aicLof the tube. The agitation or churning is accomplished by forcing the" air through these holes; this causes a bubbling motion which takes the place ot the -percussion employed in the manufacture of butter in the ordinary way. In order to ascertain .what foundation there might l>6 for the claim of the inventor that 20 or 30" per cent.. more butter could be made by this method than any other/ an experiment has baen carried out in connection, with ■ the central .experiment ffcrm of the . Canadian Department of Agriculture. Two sets of experiments 1 were conducted, and their net results were not-very favourable to the new process, as when' the butter milks -obtained front the same .cream,, churned in the ordinary way, and by the new process came to be analysed, it was tovmd that while 0.54 per cent, of. the butter fat originally contained in the cream was present in the butter milk where the Gutter was made by the ordinary method, there was no less than 4.51 per cent, of the original butter fat present in the butter milk obtained from the new prooem.