CHEESE SOLIDS IN MILK.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 496, 1 May 1909, Page 8

CHEESE SOLIDS IN MILK.

Suppliers to dairy factories would be glad of some single mode of ascertaining whether their herd is best suited for butter-making or for cheese-making. Perhaps, before long, a simple testing' : apparatus may bo invented, but for tho preiient ono has to bo largely guided either by guess-work or by tho investigations of a chemist: It was long held that Ayrshircs wero essentially the chceso cows and tho Jerseys pre-eminently tho cows for butter. . But scientific investigations. havo not always supported theso special claims, and factory directors aro not sufficiently concerned about -it to differentiate between Jersey milk and Ayrshire milk. The claim of tho Jersey to bo best for butter was probably due to tho fact that her milk is usually, rich in -fat.; But it. is sometimes equally rich in cheeso'solids. In regard to tho Ayrshires, possibly tho relativo paucity, of fat.noted in.,the mill: of somo members of tho breed caused tho lovers of that breed to assume that the cheeso solids must bo consequently groat. But .analysis .has not always proved this cither. The few comprehensive. analyses mado havo usually shown 'that whero tliero is much cream . thero is much of cheese solids also! ' This conclusion, however, depends on the conditions, tho period of lactation, etc., being equal. Period of lactation counts for a lot, becauso it touches tho ratio of fat to protein. Ono discovery that may usually be relied on is to tho effect tliat tho cheeso solids are relatively greater la to in tho period of lactation than early. Although it may never bo practicable to sell tho early milk for butter and thoMato milk for cheeso, that is really what tho discovery points to.. All tho same, undor tho' present modo of paying on .tho basis of tho fat test tho supplier would not benefit, except through tho over-run. Tho greatest. chango in . favour of cheoso takes placo about .tho ninth month of lactation. • " L. L. Van Slyko, an American' chemist, reports-that, tho percentage of fat and protein aro influenced by individuality, breed, stage of lactation, food, season, time,, arid manner of milking, different Quarters ,of tho udder, and relativo order of milking a quarter of. udder. Ho found that individuals of 'a breed varied greatly in-their ratio of fat casein or total protoidsthat tho ratio is fairly constant, until;.'-, about the .ninth month, when' tho. casein increases slightly, and tho total protein increases .quite rapidly in relation to. tho fat. Changes of the manner of milking affoct tho fat, but' not much tho protoin. : About tho ninth month, tho albumen increases even more thari the casein.