DAIEY FARMING DAIRYING. 283 



most rennet for curdling and produced the softest coagulum, and this milk was 

 produced by cows well advanced in the gestation period. 



The quality of salted butter washed in alkali water was unimpaired, but 

 uusalted butter washed in alkali water was scored about 1 point lower in qual- 

 ity than butter washed in normal wash water. Although the alkali wash water 

 contained a large number of nonacid types of bacteria, they were almost en- 

 tirely supplanted by a large number of acid forms in the butter shortly after 

 its manufacture. Acid tests confirmed the results of the judges who scored the 

 butter that alkali water free from organic matter does not affect the quality of 

 butter. Although there were more organisms in alkali water than in the soft 

 water they decreased rapidly as the butter aged, and were no more deleterious 

 to the quality of the butter than those found in ordinary well water. 



Chemical analyses of cheese when 1 month old showed no differences from 

 that made with ordinary soft water. Brine-soluble protein was low and insol- 

 uble protein high in freshly made cheese from milk produced by the cows receiv- 

 ing alkali water, but this difference diminished after the cheese had been cured 

 ] mouth. 



The " coming of ag'e " of the Babcock test, H. L. Russell {Wisronsin Sta. 

 Circ. Inform. 32, pp. 3-18, fir/s. 7). — A brief historical sketch of dairying in the 

 United States since 1851, with special reference to the influence of the discovery 

 of the Babcock test in putting the industry upon a more scientific basis. 



On the composition of butter fat in butter of Danish and Russian 

 Siberian origin, G. Joegensen {Tidnakr. Landokonomi, I'Jll, No. 9, pp. 603- 

 614). — A summary of results of the examination of 11,G90 samples of Danish 

 butter and 2,374 samples of Siberian butter, made at Copenhagen from 1896 to 

 11)10, 



The index of refraction at 40° C. for the Danish butters ranged from 1.4525 

 to 1.4569, with an average of 1.4545. For the Siberian butter the range was 

 1.452 to 1.4574, and the average 1.4545. The amount of normal alkali required 

 to neutralize 100 gm. of volatile fatty acid ranged from 47 to 71.9 cc, with an 

 average of 59, in the Danish butter, and from 41 to 69.9 cc, with an average 

 of 54 in Siberian butter. A high refraction number was invariably accompanied 

 by a low figure for volatile acids and vice versa. 



Department of dairy husbandry, R. C. Potts {Oklahoma Sta. Rpis. 1910-11, 

 pp. 36-.'f.'t). — A financial statement of the operations of the college creamery for 

 the fiscal year ended June 30, 1910, is reported. The number of patrons was 

 466, the average ijercentage of cream 35, average price paid per ix)uud for milk 

 fat 25.16 cts., pounds of butter made 242,466, percentage of overrun 18.64, aver- 

 age price received per pound for butter 26.928 cts., average cost of manufactur- 

 ing a pound of butter 4.255 cts. 



For the year ended June 30, 1911, the figures were as follows: Number of 

 patrons 405, percentage of cream 33, price paid for milk fat 23.603 cts., pounds 

 of butter made 160.105. percentage of overrun 16.7, average price received per 

 pound for butter 24.5 cts., cost of manufacturing 1 lb. of butter 5.08 cts. 



The dairy conditions on 100 farms were investigated, and total cash returns 

 of 33 are presented in tabular form. In 7 of the herds the average net loss from 

 87 cows was $2.58 per cow per year, while in 8 herds the average net profit 

 from 72 cows was $21.32 per cow. 



Better butter for Kansas (Kansas Sta. Circ. 24, pp. 4, flffs. 8). — ^This con- 

 tains suggestions for keeping dirt and bacteria out of milk and cream. 



Experiments with pure cultures for making Parmesan cheese, C. Besan.v 

 (Bui. Agr. [Milan], 46 (1912), No. 7, p. 1; Molk. Ztg. [Hildrsheim], 26 (1912), 

 No. 31, pp. 555, 556). — ^A report of a successful attempt iu using pure cultures 



