HARDNESS OF BUTTER; 



THE EFFECT OF FOOD UPON. 



A. H. WOOD AND C. L. PARSONS. 



It is now commonly admitted that the composition of milk 

 is mainly determined by the breed and individuality of the cow, 

 and that the effect of any normal food upon the percentage of fat 

 contained in the milk is very slight, hence the problem of feeding 

 is, to the milk producer, narrowed to finding the food that will 

 cause his herd to yield the greatest amount of milk at the least 

 cost without injury to the health of his cows. To the maker of 

 buiter, however, the problem is still a very broad one, for even if 

 the fat contents of the milk be practically constant and he be 

 able to obtain the maximum quantity of butter it may fall far 

 short of the highest qualit5% on account of the effect of the food 

 upon the composition of the butter fat. 



That the composition and characteristics of butter fat are 

 affected by the food of the cow is not new, in fact, it is a matter 

 of common observation and^remark; but, without doubt, in 

 many cases grea;.er changes in the quality of butter are attrib- 

 uted to changes in foods than the facts justify. 



The study of the effect of foods upon the resulting butter 

 is an important and difficult one, and this Bulletin is intended 

 only as a contribution to what has been, and an indication of 

 what may be learned in this directions 



Within the last few years gluten meal has come into exten- 

 sive use as a food rich in albuminoids ; and as a milk producing 

 food has proved itself one of the best. 



As gluten meal is a by product in the manufacture of glu- 

 cose from corn and contains all the substance of the original 

 corn, with the exception of the bulk of the starch, it might be 



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