75D 



JouDidl uf A i/iiciiltiir(, Victoria. [11 Dec, 1916. 



In other experiments it has happened that towards the end of the 

 summer, and the commencement of the autumn season, when grass has 

 naturally been poorer and scarcer, the solids not fat in milk have tended 

 to be lower than ordinarily. From 12th August to 22nd September 

 in 1911, in Table LXXXI. it is seen that on thirteen occasions in the 

 casie of Lot I. cows and on eleven occasions in that of Lot II. cows, the 

 solids not fat fell below the 8.5 per cent, standard. The lowest per- 

 centage was 8. From these somewhat abnormal figures it is possible to 

 deduce that the continued effect of the drought might have had some 

 effect in influencing the quality of the milk, and that where drought 

 effects were much more marked some foundation for complaints about 

 low non-fatty solids may have had some justification. 



Table LXXXII. 



Lot I. 

 Lot II. 



-Average Live-Weight (in lb.) per Cow for Each 

 Lot. 



Commence- 

 ment of 

 Experiments. 



1.218 

 1,142-4 



25th Julv. 



1,23.3-4 

 1,148 



J 1st August. 



1,241 8 

 1.145-2 



21st 

 September. 



1,2,54 4 

 1,162 



Increase (4- ) or 

 Decrease ( — ) 



during 

 Experiment. 



-f 36 4 



-1-20-8 



General Conclusions. 



1. It cannot be said that the total quantity of milk is influenced by 

 the equal or unequal periods of milking. 



2. So far as the percentage of fat in milk is concerned it is dis- 

 tinctly shown that the length of time between morning and evening 

 milkings does very materially alter it. 



3. The results distinctly emphasize the fact that one very important 

 means of getting over the difficulty of poorer morning's milk is to 

 endeavour to make the periods of milking as even as ever possible. 



4. It is frequently asserted that the general public demand their 

 milk at such times as to prevent the more general adoption of equal 

 milking periods. If by these and similar experiments it can be shown 

 to the public that equal milking periods produce more even quality of 

 milk, they may in time be sufficiently sympathetic to help the milk 

 producer to get over what is at present a very serious trouble to him. 



5. The results again emphasize the necessity in cases of prosecution 

 for selling milk below the standard to take into consideration the desira- 

 bility of taking an evening as well as a morning sample of milk for 

 analysis before such prosecution is pursued. 



6. It is possible that while the percentage of fat remains practically 

 normal under conditions of severe drought the " solids not fat " may be 

 lowered somewhat. 



7. In both experiments the cows of Lot I. gave slightly greater 

 percentages of "solids not fat" in the milk. This was probably due 

 to the individuality of the cows comprising this group. 



