278 



MILK, BUTTER, AND CHEESE 



[chap. 



after a long interval, ?>,, generally in the morning milk, 

 the yield is larger, but there is a corresponding falling- 

 off of quality. The morning's milk very often contains 

 less than 3 per cent, of fat, when the evening's milk may 

 contain well over 4, and the average milk of the herd is 

 something like 3J per cent. The following table will 



Table XXVII. — Variation of Yield and Composition of 

 Milk with Interval of Milking. 



show an example in these variations in yield and com- 

 position. It is impossible to get over these variations 

 by any alteration in the food of the animals, although, 

 as a consequence, the morning's milk often falls below 

 the legal standard of butter fat. In order to avoid 

 trouble on this score it is necessary to milk at intervals 

 of twelve hours, and hold back the evening's milk in a 

 refrigerated condition for the morning delivery. Milking 

 three times a day is sometimes resorted to, and there is 

 some evidence that the secretion of milk is thereby 

 stimulated. 



The milk that is first drawn from the udder is always 

 poorer than the last drawn, or the strippings. Conse- 

 quently, the milker can seriously lower the average 

 composition of the milk unless care is taken to 

 thoroughly strip the cow and make her yield all the 



