Vermont Dairymen's Association. 107 



It is well known that strong flavored foods such as turnips, 

 g-arlic, rape, etc. when fed to cows shortly before milking will 

 convey their characteristic odors to the milk. Milk when drawn 

 from the udder may absorb odors, especially when it is warm. 

 Bacteria may fall into the milk, the growth, of which may cause 

 decomposition products which have bad flavors. An infraction 

 of these laws at any point will bring down the penalty on the 

 head of the sinner of a buttermaker. 



An average analysis of milk would be as follows : 



f Water 87% Ash a7% 



I Casein 2.7% 



j^jlj, J Albumin 0.7% 



f Solids not fat Sugar 5% 



I 



Solids 13^ i 



LFat 3.9 



The solids not fat dissolved and held in suspension in the 

 water make the milk serum. The fat in the form of minute 

 globules is held in emulsion in this serum. 



Cream is a smaller portion of the milk serum intO' which the 

 fat globules have been crowded. If they are crowded very close 

 together it is termed a thick or heavy cream — though actually 

 lighter in weight. If not crowded close it is a thin or light 

 bodied cream. The fat of milk is not one fat but a mixture of 

 a number of fats,, palmatin, myristin, olein, stearin, butyrin, 

 caproin, caprin, etc. The character of these fats in slightly 

 varying proportions affects the character of the milk fat or 

 butter fat. Palmatin melts at 144° F. and myristin at 129° F., 

 while olean is liquid at ordinary temperatures. The melting 

 point of the combined fats varies from 87° to 92° F. and may in 

 certain cases show a yet greater variation. By melting point is 

 meant its entire liquidity, not that long range of temperature 

 through which it is in a plastic, sticky condition. At a point be- 

 tween 50° and 55° F. it becomes solid. It is generally conceded 

 that feed does not change the percent of fat in the milk, but it 

 certainly does affect the composition of this fat. Cottonseed meal 

 raises the melting and hardening points of butter fat while oil 

 meal and gluten feeds lower them. The milk of stripper cows 

 carries relatively more of the harder fats than that given by new 

 milch cows. 



Butyrin and some of the minor fats are soluble and their 

 fatty acids are volatile, and are peculiar to butter fat. They un- 

 doubtedly affect the rich aroma of butter. Butyric acid, closely 

 allied chemically to butyrin, has a rancid odor. Oleomargarine 



