978 Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



Before the introduction of Dr. Babeock's metliod of testing milk 

 it was the general impression amongst dairymen that milk poor in 

 butter fat was rich in casein, and was consequently worth more for 

 cheesemaking. Both fat and casein are constituents of cheese, and 

 are found to be of nearly equal importance, and that for milk contain- 

 ing a normal percentage of fat the amount of cheese produced is in 

 nearly exact proportion to the percentage of fat in the milk. 



Professor Van Slyke, in a series of investigations extending over 



several years, and including the milk of over 1,500 dilferent cows, 



found as the percentage of fat increased the percentage of casein 



increased in nearly constant ratio, oy to quote his own words, " While 



we have noticed considerable variation, when we consider individual 



herds we have found that, as a rule, there were two-thirds of one 



])ound of casein for each pound of fat in the milk, whether the milk 



contained 3 or 4 per cent of fat. When the amount of fat in the milk 



increased beyond 4*5 per cent, there was a gradual but slight diminution 



of casein for each pound of fat." This normal relation is sometimes 



disturbed in a season of drought, when the cattle are nearly starved. 



A case of this description was brought under my notice by a 



cheesemaker last year, where at one factory from 



26 718 gallons of milk 



25'214 pounds of cheese were made. 



i"-504 pounds less than 1 pound per gallon. 



At No. 2 factory, 



30-846 gallons of milk 

 28'471 pounds of cheese. 



2-375 pounds less than 1 pound of cheese per gallon of milk 



The average price at No. 1 factory was 5.44 pence per gallon, the 

 price at No. 2 factory was 5*54 pence per gallon. There was very 

 little difference in value of the milk at these two factories as estimated 

 by the Babcock tester, but the result showed a considerable difference 

 in favcn- of No. 1 factory in the amount of cheese produced. In the 

 district from which No. 1 supply was drawn there was plenty of good 

 feed for the cattle, while in the district from which the supply of No 

 2 factor}?- was obtained the pastures were bare owing to a long spell 

 of dry weather. This case was submitted to Professor Farrington, 

 of the Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment Station, U.S.A., and he 

 said they had had similar experience, and this was due to the cattle 

 not having sufficient nourishing food. These exceptions to the 

 general rule only go to show that milking cows should at all times be 

 liberally fed, and does not in any way affect the subject we are 

 dealing with. 



Further, considering the percentage of fat as influencing the 

 weight of cheese produced it is found that as the percentage ot: fat 

 increases over 4'5 the percentage of casein is slightly less in propor- 

 tion to th(^ fat, and also that the yield of cheese per pound of fat in 

 the milk is slightly less. But against that a rich milk has a higher 

 value in that it increases the average quality of the cheese, and 



