J.i2 Journal of Agriculture , Yictoria. [lo July, 1911. 



fittings cannot be tolerated. Greater care is necessary with tliese machines- 

 than is the case with the ordinary pail ; but, given that extra intelligent 

 attention, milking by machinery should not detrimentally affect the quality 

 of the product. It is advisable to cleanse the cows' teats before attaching 

 the milking cups and to carefully strip every cow after the machine is. 

 detached to see that no milk has been left behind. Animals regarding 

 which there may be any suspicion should be hand-milked, ^^'ith these pre- 

 cautions, the machine will answer every purpose. 



Cheese Export.s. 



Four shipments of cheese were made during the season, and a very high' 

 reputation has been established, which I attribute largely to the good work 

 done by the Cheese Instructor (Mr. G. C. Sawers). The first report from 

 the Agent-General compares the quality favourably with that of the 

 Canadian article, and no higher compliment could be paid to it. 



In a flush fall of the season, such as was experienced this year, cheese 

 for export finds from January onwards a much more profitable market 

 than rules for butter. It is expected that, with the progress of dairying in- 

 Australia, New Zealand, and other parts of the world, the Inter-State 

 markets will not absorb from Victoria the same quantity of butter as in 

 past years. Therefore, it may be anticipated that many companies will 

 instal cheese-making plants in order to turn their milk to the best advantage. 



In the discussion which followed the reading of the paper, the informa- 

 tion given below was furnished by Mr. Crowe: — 



The average composition of Victorian butter, in round numbers, for the- 

 previous season was 83 per cent, butter fat, 14 per cent, moisture, 2 per 

 cent, salt, 0.75 per cent, casein, and 0.25 per cent, boric acid. The over- 

 run represented the constituents of butter other than butter fat. 



An over-run of from 13 per cent, to 15 per cent, should be regarded 

 as reasonable where a milk supply was dealt with, whilst with a cream 

 supply the over-run should range from 15 per cent, to 17 per cent. That 

 is to say, when dealing with milk, every 100 lbs. butter fat estimated 

 in the milk per Babcock tester should make from 113 to 115 lbs. 

 commercial butter; and, with cream supply, from ri5 to 117 lbs. of com- 

 mercial butter. 



The manufacturing losses would be from 3 per cent, to 3I per cent, 

 with a milk supply, and from i per cent, to i \ per cent, when handling a 

 cream supply. These losses consist of the unrecoverable butter fat in. 

 skimming, churning and manipulation in all the other utensils, together 

 with the increased weight packed in boxes at above the net weight marked 

 on them. No skimming losses have to be provided by the manufacturer 

 when receiving cream. His losses in the latter case only count from that 

 stage on, hence the difference between the two classes of supply. In 

 treatrng milk and producing a butter having 83 per cent, butter fat. it 

 requires about 86 lbs. of butter fat to produce 100 lbs. of commercial 

 butter ; with cream, it would take about 84 lbs. butter fat, estimated per 

 Eabcock tester. 



