134 



Ayrshire, 5 cowa; of the Aberdeen Angus, 2 cows; and of the Shorthorns, 9 cows. 

 In addition to these, the milk of 3 grade cows was examined. 



The constituents of mills: are water, fat, casein (or curd), milk-sugar and mineral 

 matter or a^sh — the four latter being known together as the " total solids." 



From a commercial standpoint, the element of chief value is the fat — the richer 

 in percentage of fat, the more valuable the milk becomes. It is therefore of the 

 tirst importance to ascertain by a separate determination the percentage of fat, 

 ■which being substracte<l from that of the total solids (directly determined), leaves 

 the percentage of "solids not fat," Tljis latter includes the casein, milk-sugar and 

 ash. 



Although the fat is the principal constituent of milk that will command 

 our attention here, it must be remembered that milk as a nutritive food is not 

 valuable simpij^ from its contained fat. The casein or curd, which separates on 

 the milk becoming soui- or on tlie addition of acid, is the nitrogenous part of milk, 

 and therefore the most highly nutriticnis from a food standpoint. Milk is an excep- 

 tionally complete food, the niti-ogenous part being well proportioned to the non- 

 nitrogenous portion. This, together with the fact that it is very easily digested, 

 makes milk the most nourishing of all foods for the young. 



The fertilizing elements remain in milk after it has been skimmed, so that when 

 the fat (as butter or cream) is alone sold, and the skimmed milk fed on the farm, the 

 land is enriched I'ather than impoverished, for therebj' is returned to the soil by the 

 manure much plant food (especially nitrogen and phosphoric acid) in an easily 

 available form. 



The quantity and quality of milk of a cow at an}' given period depend upon 

 numerous factoj-s, chief am!>ng which arenatureand quantity of food and water, breed, 

 state of health, individual characteristics, age, length of time since calving, and dale 

 when bred. 



In the following table, besides the analytical data — comprising specific gravity, 

 total solids, fat and solids not fat — will be found information regarding many of the 

 points above mentioned as affecting the quality and flow of milk. 



The rations fed during the periods in which the samples analysed were taken 

 are as follows; — 



a at ion 1. 



Fed Y per cent, of live weight daily, 

 from 1st December, 1889, till 

 2nd March, 1890. 



Corn ensilage ' 25 lbs. 



Roots 20 " 



Oat straw 7 " 



Provender (4 oats, \ barlev") 4 " 



Bran ' ' '. 4 " 



Ration 2. 



Corn ensilage • 25 lbs. 



'!:? 



Fed 7 per cent, of live weight from 

 3id March to 31st March, 1890. 



Roots .' 20 



Oat straw 10 



Provender (as in Ration I). 2 



Bran 3 





After 12th January, the milking cows, except Countess of Dailington, and the 

 grades, were fed in addition to above 2 lbs. of oil cake daily. 



After 31st March. Ration 1 was fed until the cows went out to pasture. 



The times of milking were 4 p.m. and 6 a.m.. making the interval between the 

 evening and morning milking 14 hours, and that between the morning and evening 



milkings 10 hours. 



