THE RECENT PROSECUTIONS FOR INFERIOR MILK.

Otago Witness, Issue 3111, 29 October 1913, Page 14

THE RECENT PROSECUTIONS FOR INFERIOR MILK.

In fixing the milk standard at 3.25 per cent, the authorities recognised that there must be some well-defined legal limit low which the quality of milk vended should not be allowed to go. This stipulation places the dairyman in an unfair position, because at times some of his cows will give milk below the standard without any watering and he is not allowed to sell it, and he gets nothing more for milk with twice the butter-fat content. The butter factory discriminates by paying for the actual butter-fat in the milk ; but the cheese factory and the town consumers fail to acknowledge a superior article by giving an increased price for it. The Dairy Commissioner has frequently suggested that such a system might he imS roved upon, and it is quite possible to o so, but at some expense. In every herd cows of the same age and breed fed on the same lines and treated similarly in every way yet vary materially in the amount of butter-fat content in their milk. Some of them habitually yield milk below the standard, others above it; and sometimes the general average after the milk is mixed together will be below the standard. Some of the causes which bring ibis about are preventable, others are quite naturally the result of causes over which the dairyman has little practical control, such as the period of lactation, the age of the cattle, and the interval between milkings. There are other minor causes of disturbance which temporarily upset the susceptible animals and cause irregular variations both in quantity and quality; but generally the different yields of fat are hereditary, and the quality of

the herd can be raised by weeding out the cows -yielding poor milk and breeding from those which yield a fair standard of fat. The process is due which involves time and persistence, but will result in a permanent improvement of the milk. The time occupied in raising the standard of any 7 herd might be shortened by employing bulls of the race which is known to produce milk of a high proportion of fat. The following table, showing the average analysis of milk from the different breeds, is quoted by Mr A. D. Hal), late the Director of Rothamsted. The percentage of fat in the milk of the different breeds is as follows : Veitch, New Jersey, Rase Show,

Thus by using a Jersey bull for a year or two the process would be accelerated. The quality 7 of the morning's milk may also be raised by making the intervals between the milkings as nearly equal as possible. It is generally found that after a long interval the quantity is increased, while the quality falls away. From the same source we learn that the variations of yield and composition of milk with the interval of milking are as follow: Morning milk. Evening milk. Yield, o/ fat Yield, q/ fat.

It.would therefore appear that when cows are milked twice daily 7 , and the milk is well mixed before delivery in the morning, there is no excuse from this source for low-grade milk when, the intervals between the milkings are equal. From these particulars it will be seen that the vendor of milk requires to adopt individual cow-testing. The occasional test will enable him at once to single out the cows which are bringing the mixed milk below the legal standard. With the means at hand to test his cows, no up-to-date dairyman has any excuse for supplying milk below the standard.

England. U.S.A.’ 1909. J ersey .. 5.66 4.78 4.29 Guernsey — 5.02 4.47 Red Poll .. 4.34 2.99 Shorthorn .. 4.03 3.65 3.07 Ayrshire — 3.68 3.79 Holstein — 3.51 —

thirteen and 11 hours 1.2 3.18 1 3.8 Fifteen and nine hours 1.5 2.87 1 4.26 Equal intervals 1.05 3.61 1 3.45 Sixteen and eight hours .. 1.5 2.33 1 4.47