60 THE NORMAL COMPOSITION OF MILK 



desired, as any breed may be used and the ration adjusted to 

 secure quantity rather than quality and so lead to a diminution 

 of both the average and minimum composition of the normal 

 secretion. 



The breeding of dairy cattle on scientific principles has led 

 to the introduction of strains which secrete large quantities of 

 milk of comparatively poor quality; the total weight of butter 

 fat produced is at a maximum and when such milk is to be used 

 for butter making this method of breeding must be regarded as 

 legitimate and commended as a step forward in intensive 

 breeding. When such produce is intended for sale as milk 

 a very different view must be taken of such methods for, as 

 regards the ultimate effect, there is no difference .between 

 this process and the deliberate addition of water to milk of 

 superior quality. If milk is to be regarded as the secretion of 

 cows, without additions or abstraction, it is evident that a 

 premium is placed upon quantity regardless of quality, with the 

 consequence that the water content of milk will become in- 

 creasingly greater. It might be argued that such a course of 

 reasoning is merely hypothetical inasmuch as the average 

 composition of milk shows no definite tendency to deteriorate 

 from decade to decade. Unfortunately there are compara- 

 tively few reliable records of data covering considerable periods. 

 The records of the Aylesbury Dairy Co., London, as published 

 by Droop Richmond, show that the milk supplied in 1912 was 

 but very little different in composition to that supplied in 1900. 

 The intervening period is marked by a rise in quality in 1902 and 

 1903 after which there is a steady decline. The results are set 

 out in Diagram II. 



The conditions in New York City present an entirely differ; 

 ent aspect of this question. Prior to 1910 the standard de- 

 manded at least 12 per cent of total solids, but in that year the 

 interests representing the Holstein breeders were strong enough 

 to effect a reduction of the standard to 11.5 per cent. When 

 this new standard became operative, no " quid pro quo " in 

 the shape of a reduction in price was received by the consumer, 



