COMPOSITION OF MILK. 43 



used for other purposes than feeding calves before 

 the ninth milking, and in some cases it may require 

 longer to become fit for table use. With Jersey or 

 Guernsey cows, the colostrum may be too rich for the 

 young calf, in which case it should be dilutee! with 

 poorer milk, or with water. Many young calves are 

 lost by feeding them this very rich milk. The young 

 calf requires the colostrum, but it should be fed care- 

 fully. 



Milk is sometimes said to consist of fat and milk 

 serum, but a more complete analysis shows it to be 

 made up of: 



A percentage composition of milk is about as 

 follows : 



Water 87.5 



Fat 3-6 



Casein 2. 5 



Albumen 0.7 



Sugar 5- 



Ash 0.7 



Total loo.o 



When first drawn, milk is either amphoteric (both 

 alkaline and acid) or alkaline in character, but soon 

 becomes acid, due to the absorption of carbonic acid 

 gas from the air, and to the lactic acid produced in 

 the milk itself. When tested with an acidimeter fresh 

 milk usually shows over one-tenth of one per cent, 

 acid, clue in part to the acid character of the casein. 



