TURNIP-FLAVOUR IN MILK.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XII, Issue 5, 20 May 1916, Page 380

TURNIP-FLAVOUR IN MILK.

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS AT WERAROA.

During the end of February and the beginning of March of this year some observations were made at Weraroa Experimental Farm regarding the effects on . milk-flavour of feeding to cows a number of different varieties of turnips. The object of the tests was to discover what variations, if any, existed amongst the varieties with regard to their power of communicating turnip-flavour to milk, with a view to selecting one or more varieties for further work on this subject. Accordingly, no effort was made to minimize the effect of feeding the varieties by limiting the amount fed, or by adding to the turnip ration other foods which might have the effect of reducing or disguising the undesired flavour. The varieties used were: Perfection Green-top, Centenarian Green-top Hybrid, Favourite Purple-top, All the Year Round, Green-top Six Weeks, Red Paragon, Imperial Green Globe, Purpletop Mammoth, Early Six Weeks, Pomeranian White Globe. There was practically no difference in weight of crop in any of the varieties, and all showed the same tendency to go off very rapidly after coming to maturity. Each variety was made the subject of a separate test for flavouring properties. The turnip-flavour in the milk was not so marked as to be objectionable in any of the samples immediately after milking, but it developed on keeping. When 6olb. of turnips per cow was fed at 8 o’clock in the morning the turnip-flavour in the evening’s milk on keeping was quite decided. When 50 lb. per cow was fed at 5.45 p.m. the flavour developed' in the morning’s milk on keeping was not marked. .The hours of milking the test cows were 6.45 a.m. and 5 p.m. No variety produced milk which was , entirely free from slight odour on keeping, and most of the varieties produced milk which had decided odour and objectionable flavour. Purple-top Mammoth, Favourite Purple-top, and Centenarian Hybrid were comparatively free from tendency to produce odour and to .flavour the milk on keeping. Samples of butter made from the milk of cows fed on these varieties had, however, a slight turnip-flavour. These varieties will be used freely in further experiments. The testing and sampling of the milk was very carefully done by Miss G. N. Davies, N.D.D., of the Department’s staff.