778 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol.43 



Official testing of dairy cattle, A. C. Ragsdale and C. W. Tttrner (Missouri 

 ^tn. Circ. 06 (1920), pp. 12, fif/s. 5). — This publication discusses the value of 

 official tests, summarizes the breed requirements for advanced registry, gives 

 rules for the supervision of official tests, and suggests methods of fitting cows 

 for the test. 



Daily variations in milk test, W. M. Singleton {Neic Zeal. Jour. Agr., 20 

 (1920), No. 6, pp. SJt6~3Jf9). — A few data are cited from the certificate-of-record 

 work of the New Zealand Department of Agriculture. 



The influence of the condition at parturition on the composition of milk 

 and butter fat, L. S. Palmer (Missouri Sta. Bui. 172 (1920), p. 2i).— The cow 

 used in making previous observations of this series (E. S. R., 41, p. 677) 

 calved in good condition in July, 1918, and was kept on a high protein plane 

 for about two months. The treatment failed to increase the fat and protein 

 content of the milk, despite the fact that a poor condition at parturition and 

 a low protein plane had in previous years seemed to depress the fat and pro- 

 tein content of the milk. It is concluded that the abnormally low protein and 

 fat content of this cow's milk is independent of the condition at calving and 

 the plane of nutrition. It has been decided, therefore, to abandon the observa- 

 tions on this animal. 



On the destruction of bacteria in milk by electricity, J. M. Beattie and 

 F. C. Lewis (Natl. Health Ins., Med. Research Com. [Gt. Brit.'], Spec. Rpt. Ser., 

 No. 49 (1920), pp. 32, figs. S). — The authors report observations indicating the 

 destruction of colon and tubercle organisms and most of the other bacteria in 

 millc subjected to an alternating electric current. ]VIost of the results were 

 published in preliminary papers (E. S. R., 35, pp. 176, 378), 



The essential feature of the apparatus used is a horizontal " lethal tube " 

 of glass, through which the milk flows continuously, passing three copper elec- 

 trodes, one in the middle, and one at each end. The proper current and voltage 

 is a function of the length and diameter of the lethal tube and the rate of 

 milk flow in a way not clearly formulated, but it is apparently expected that 

 these relationsliips will be determined empirically for each machine of different 

 dimensions and capacity. Since approximate sterilization of milk was secured 

 after 16 seconds exposure to tlie current, during which the temperature was 

 above 55" C, (131° F,) for the last 4 seconds only, the end temperature being 

 64°, it is concluded that the bactericidal effect is due directly to the current 

 and not to tlie heat generated. However, it is mentioned tiiat unpublished 

 results with a similar apparatus led Sir Oliver Lodge and R. F. C. Leith to 

 doubt this conclusion, and, to judge from tlie ii'.troductory note, the Medical 

 Research Committee shares this skepticism. See also the recent work of Ander- 

 son and Finkelstein (E. S. R., 42, p. 875). 



Suggestions regarding the control of municipal milk supplies, H A, 

 Harding and M. J. Prucha (Jour. Dairy Sci., S (1920), No. 2, pp. 107-121).— 

 The central idea in this discussion is essentially that in Harding's paper on 

 simplified milk inspection (E. S. R., 41, p. 775), but the suggestions are less 

 concrete. 



"The consuming public desires a milk which is safe, rich, clean, and sweet. 

 Any system of control which they understand is striving to provide them with 

 such an article tends to enlist their support. Most workers in milk improvement 

 will insist that these are precisely the objects which they have had constantly 

 in view. However, so long as their private and public statements are directed 

 primarily toward minimum legal limits of composition, barn scores, and bac- 

 terial counts, it is a fair question as to how much the public is to be blamed for 

 not appreciating the connection between such things and the characteristics of 

 a milk supply in which the public is interested." 



