78 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



influence. Butter from cows fed on young fresli growth, .as young clover, had a 

 deci(U'(lly liigher ])ercentage of volatile fatty acids than butter from cows fed on 

 rather worn-out grass land. The addition of linseed meal to ])a.sturage had an inju- 

 rious effect, but when all the cows were .subsequently turned on young <rlover those 

 that had been fed linseed meal showed a more marked improvement than the others. 

 It was found that the time when the percentage of volatile fatty acids decreased cor- 

 responded with the time when the growth of the grass ceased. The individuality of 

 each cow is believed also to be an important factor in determining the percentage of 

 volatile fatty acids in butter. The experiments on the effect of feeding beet tops 

 were made with 4 cows. Two of the (!ows on pasture were fed beet tops ad libitum 

 and one week later beet tops were also given to the other 2 cows. The effect of the 

 beet tops was apparent at once in an increase in the yield and fat content of the milk 

 and in the percentage of volatile fatty acids in the butter. To deternune what con- 

 stituents in the beet tops caused the favorable results 6 cows were divided into 3 

 groups, group 1 being fed beet tops, group 2 sugar beets, and group 3 barley meal. 

 After receiving beet tops for several days, group 1 was fed beet leaves alone for 1 

 week. The milk from this group showed at first a slight decline in the volatile fatty 

 acids, followed by a sudden drop at the time when the cattle received only beet 

 leaves. The results with group 2 showed a great increase in the percentage of vola- 

 tile fatty acids, followed l)y a decrease as soon as the cows were again fed beet tops. 

 The feeding of barley meal to group 3 resulted in a decrease in the volatile fatty acids, 

 followed by an increase when the cows were fed beet tops. Two groups of cows were 

 also fed molasses or unrefined sugar, the results showing a marked increase in the 

 volatile fatty acids in the butter. The results of the tests as a whole indicate that 

 the sugar in the beet was the cause of the increase in the volatile fatty acids. 



Report of D. A. J. Simving on the work in Zeeland (pp. 1515-1535). — The conclu- 

 sions reached in these experiments were, that late pasturing decreases the amount 

 of volatile fatty acids in the Imtter due largely to the poor condition of the pasture, 

 that stabling alone will maintain the percentage of volatile fatty acids, that a change 

 of feed at onc^e affects the composition of the butter fat, and that by proper addi- 

 tional feed it is possible to maintain a satisfactory content of volatile fatty acids in 

 butter even with late pasturing. 



Rej)ort of J. J. L. vanRija on work at Limhurg and North Brabant (pp. 1535-1543). — 

 The butter made in these provinces during the fall months has a higher percentage 

 of volatile fatty acids than is found in the butter made in the northern provinces, 

 and the author is convinced that this is due to differences in the methods of feeding. 

 Information collected from a large number of factories as regards methods of feeding 

 cows and handling the milk constitutes the main part of this report. — h. m. pieters. 



Investigations regarding" the ripening of cheese, R. Harcoirt ( Ontario Agr. 

 Col. and Expt. Farm Rpt. 1902, pp. 40, 41). — Some of the results obtained in investi- 

 gations of the chemical changes taking place in casein during the ripening of cheese 

 at different temperatures are briefly reported. Once each month, from April to 

 November 2, cheeses were made under uniform conditions from the same vat of milk, 

 one of which was cured in cold storage at 38 to 40° F. and the other in the ordinary 

 curing room at 65°. The percentage of casein soluble in water was determined at 

 frecjuent intervals. Cheese made in June, July, and August ripened much more 

 rapidly than cheese made in April and May. This was true not only in the case of 

 cheese rijjened in the curing room but also of cheese ripened in cold storage where 

 the tempt*ratnre remained uniform. Cheese kept in cold storage from the last of 

 April to the middle of August ripened nmch more rapidly ujion being transferred to 

 the ordinary curing room. No corresponding check in the rate of ripening, how- 

 ever, was observed in the case of cheese transferred at the same time from the curing 

 room to cold storage. The results so far obtained in the investigations in progress 

 indicate that cheese will ripen about as much during 1 month in the ordinary curing 



