General Notes. 379 



-show wide, and at present inexplicable variations. On this question, 

 some experiments have recently been made by Messrs. Dymond and 

 Bull at Chelmsford, under the auspices of the Essex Technical 

 Instruction Committee. The experiment consisted in testing twice 

 ■daily, the milk of six Shorthorn cows which were housed, fed and 

 milked under careful supervision and under favorable conditions. 

 Two of the cows were under observation for short periods only. The 

 following figures show the number of times on which the milk of the 

 •other four failed to reach the standard : — 



Average daily No, of Milk Fat Non-fatty solids 



yield, lbs. Analyses. deficient. deficient. 



Cow I . . 30 8 . . 206 . . 8 times . , 68 times 



„ II .. 28 8 .. 206 .. 117 ,. .. 52 ,, 



.,111 .. 16 6 .. 156 .. 1 „ .. ., 



,, IV .. 18 8 .. 206 .. ,, .. ,, 



The first two animals were in full milk, having calved six weeks 

 before the test began ; the other cows had calved eight months, and 

 were beginning to go dry. The feeding was varied in the course of 

 the experiments, and on several occasions the animals were exposed 

 to low temperatures, but the milk was little, if at all, influenced. 

 The quality depended on the cow, not on the conditions under which 

 she was kept. The mixed milk did not fall below standard during 

 the experiments, but the analyses given indicate that when a herd i& 

 largely composed of newly-calved cows the milk may frequently fall 

 below standard. — Nature. 



Keeping the Milk Cool. 



Mr. P. J. Carroll, Governmeut Daii'y Supervisor, strongly urges 

 upon dairy-farmers the necessity for covering their milk-cans while 

 in transit from the farm to the factory. The following bye-law of 

 the Colac Butter Factory is instanced by him as showing that in an 

 up-to-date establishment where nothing is neglected that is likely to 

 improve the quality of the product, this covering of the cans is made 

 compulsory upon all suppliers. 



" Commencing on a date, due notice of which shall be given, and 

 extending till the 21st March of the succeeding year, 

 suppliers are requested to cover their milk cans during 

 transit to and whilst awaiting delivery at the factory or 

 creamery with an approved cloth, for preference, white calico. 

 Bags, bagging, or hessian will not be allowed. Irrespective 

 of weather conditions the covers must be used daily, or a 

 fine of 2s. 6d. for each offence in neglect of same will be 

 imposed. The milk-can covers, under no circumstances, 

 must be used for purposes other than specified." 



This rule should be adopted at every factory that aims at pro- 

 ducing butter of good quality, and when accompanied by proper pre- 

 <3aution8 to insure cleanliness will result in the delivery of the milk in 

 a sound and wholesome condition, from which it will be possible to 

 inake a first class article. 



