DAIRY FARMING — DAIRYING. 183 



Composition of the milk of sheep, Trii.lat and Forestiek {Jovr. Agr. Prat., 

 n. wr., 4 {1003), No. JS, }ip. oS, S9). — The authors analyzed 171 samples of milk 

 obtained during February, March, and April in 6 locaHties. Some of the results are 

 summarized. Ten samples obtained in the region of Roquefort showed the following 

 average composition: Solids 18.9, fat 6.98, sugar 5.53, casein 5.54, ash 0.96, lime 0.25, 

 and acid 2.66 per cent. 



Comparative skimming qualities of Holstein, Ayrshire, and Jersey milk, 

 J. Mahon {Queensland a gr. Jour., 10 {1902), No. 6, pp. 446, 447).— In 2 tests the 3 

 kinds of milk were separated under similar conditions. The percentage of fat in the 

 skim milk was lowest in the case of Jersey milk and highest in the case of Holstein 

 milk, though the difference was not marked. 



Influence of food on the quality of milk, W. E. G. Atkinson {Jour. SoutlicuM. 

 Agr. Col. Wye, 1903, No. 2, pp. 115-120) .—\)&i& are given for an experiment in which 

 6 cows were fed a ration composed of cabbages, oat straw, bean meal, and barley 

 meal during a preliminary period, after which 2 of the cows received in addition 

 corn meal and 2 linseed meal. Variations observed in the percentages of fat were 

 not consistent with changes in the rations fed and are considered as due to other 

 causes, such as the weather. 



Effect of feed on the composition of milk and on the consistency or body 

 of butter, J. B. Lindsev et Ah.{Massachmetts Sla. Rpt. 1901, pp. 162-168).— A sum- 

 marized account is given of an experiment similar to work previously reported 

 (E. S. R., 13, p. 385). Two lots of 5 cows each were fed for periods of 3, 5, 6, and 

 4 weeks, respectively. Lot 1 received during the 4 periods a daily ration consisting 

 of 3 lbs. of wheat bran, 5 lbs. of ground oats, J lb. of cotton-seed meal, and h lb. of 

 gluten meal, in addition to hay and rowen. Lot 2 received the above ration during 

 the first period, and the same ration a portion of which was replaced, respectively, 

 by cotton-seed meal containing a minimum amount of oil, cotton-seed meal with the 

 addition of cotton-seed oil, and Cleveland flax meal during the second, third, and 

 fourth periods. The author gives the more important results as follows: 



"(1) Cotton-seed meal with a minimum percentage of oil did not alter the per- 

 centage composition of the milk. 



" (2) The addition of one-half to three-fourths of a pound of cotton-seed oil to the 

 cotton-seed meal appeared to increase the fat percentage in the milk about four-tenths 

 of one per cent, and this increase was maintained during the 6 weeks of the feeding 

 period. 



"(3) The substitution of Cleveland flax meal for the cotton-seed meal and oil 

 resulted in a decrease of the fat in the milk to about the percentage found in the first 

 period, while the nitrogen percentage was increased. This change in composition 

 was probably due to the removal of the cotton-seed oil from the ration, and not to 

 the influence of the flax meal. 



"(4) Cotton-seed meal with minimum oil caused no marke<l variation in the 

 chemical composition of the butter fat. 



" (5) The addition of cotton-seed oil to the cotton-seed meal ration produced a 

 noticeable increase in the melting point and iodin number of butter fat. 



" (6) Cotton-seed meal with a minimum oil produced a firm butter. 



"(7) The addition of cotton-seed oil, while it increased the melting point of the 

 butter fat, produced a softer, more yielding butter than that produced by either the 

 cotton-seed meal or the standard ration. 



" (8) An excess of cotton-seed oil in the ration is likely to affect the health of the 

 animal." 



The production of milk and butter — variations in the composition of but- 

 ter, L. Malpeaux and J. Delaitre {Ann. Agron., 28 {1902), No. 4, pp- 209-223). — 

 Causes of variation in the composition of butter are discussed and experiments relat- 

 ing especially to the influence of food are reported. Determinations were made of 

 the volatile and fixed fatty acids, saponification number, and the critical temperature 



