DAIRY FARMING DAIRYING. 



283 



A communication is cited from the Eoyal Experiment Station for Mid- 

 dle Franconia, stating that the milk of a sow one day after farrowing 

 was found to contain 9.15 per cent of fat and 21.75 per cent of solids, 

 and 5 days later 4.7 per cent of fat and 1G.98 per cent of solids; another 

 from a landholder in Bavaria, stating that the milk of 2 sows several 

 weeks after farrowing contained 9.8 and 8.G per cent of fat, respectively; 

 and a third from Speyer giving the results of 9 determinations as 2.95, 

 5.06, 8.00, 6.71, 3.58, 2.37, 7.32, 3.74, and 5.55, respectively. Averaging 

 these 30 fat determinations gives 6.87 per cent. 



At the request of practical breeders the work was continued. The 

 second paper gives the fat determinations in the milk of a sow from 

 February 12 to March 30. It was originally intended to study the 

 variations on different kinds of food, the milk from the first and last 

 part of the milking, etc., but the plan was interfered with by the diffi- 

 culty of satisfactorily milking the sow. In the 30 determinations made 

 the fat varied from 5.5 to 8.7 per cent and averaged G.G per cent. This 

 confirms the previous observations as to the richness of sows' milk in 

 fat. 



Investigations on sheep's milk with special reference to the 

 East Friesian milk sheep, H. Htjcho (Landw. ■in //>•/>., 26 (1896), 

 pp. 497-547). — .This is quite a comprehensive study on sheep's milk, 

 including the milk of Merino, Hampshire, and a number of other nun- 

 milk sheep, as well as East Friesian milk sheep. The milk of 3 East 

 Friesian sheep was studied throughout a period of lactation, data being 

 secured as to the yield and composition of the milk at frequent inter- 

 vals, the morning's and night's milk, the fat globules, and effect of 

 turning to pasture, of shearing, of time and manner of milking; and the 

 nature and composition of colostrum. The following are some of the 

 author's deductions: Non-milk sheep may produce, under normal con- 

 ditions, from 40 to 80 kg. of milk in a relatively short period of lacta- 

 tion. During the first 2 or 3 months they produce about 20 to 40 kg., 

 with a fat content of 3 to 4.5 per cent. East Friesian milk sheep give 

 much more, about 200 kg. being a fair average. The following sum- 

 mary shows the range and the average composition of the milk of the 

 3 sheep for 1 period of lactation : 



