The Question Box. 149 



than another. The trouble is that, when butter brings the highest 

 prices, the farmers all want to drop cheese and go to making butter. 

 Bye-and-bye, butter drops in price and cheese goes up; then they 

 drop butter and rush after cheese. As a rule, those who " stick " 

 to the one or the other come out best at the end of the season. 



Question. — Would it be safe for a patron of a factory, under 

 the present laws of the State, to put his milk into a factory, if his 

 herd are great milkers? 



Mr. Smith. — Yes, sir. We have traveled the State from end 

 to end and have found not more than half a dozen small herds that 

 gave milk below three per cent. fat. Those were Holsteins that 

 had been bred for a large flow of milk instead of milk of good 

 quality. The average per cent, of fat in the dairies of the State 

 is three and eight-tenths per cent. The old system of pooling milk 

 simply puts a premium on poor milk ; while the Babcock places a 

 premium on good milk, because it awards to every man that which 

 belongs to him. No more; no less. 



Question. — How many pounds of milk is necessary for one 

 pound of butter? 



Mr. Smith. — Every pound of butter fat in the milk, if the work 

 is well done, allowing 15 per cent, moisture, will make a pound 

 and two ounces of butter; that is, a pound of three per cent, milk 

 will make three pounds and six ounces of butter; four per cent., 

 four pounds and eight ounces; and so on, according to the fat 

 per cent, in the milk. Remember, the milk must be perfectly 

 creamed and properly churned. 



Question. — How much three per cent, milk is required to make 

 one pound of butter ? 



Mr. Smith. — If the work is well done, it will require 28 pounds 

 of three per cent, milk, including 15 per cent, moisture, for one 

 pound of butter. 



Question. — What is the cause of white specks in butter when 

 it is well cared for and in other ways is all right? 



Mr. Smith. — If everything is right, there will be no while 

 specks. As a rule, these specks are caused by bits of dried cream 

 or bits of casein, where the cream has been raised in shallow pans, 

 that adhered to the cream. 



Question. — How much cream can be taken off four and one-half 

 per cent, butter fat, according to (he Babcock test? 



Mr. Smith. — Four and one-half per cent, cream means four 

 and one-half pounds of butter fat in 100 pounds of milk; nothing 



