ANNUAL REPORT, 1944-45 27 



4 percent, bacteria 1300 per cc, ascorbic acid 6.5 mg., nicotinic acid 2.96 nig., 

 pantothenic acid, 3.38 mg., riboflavin 1.25 mg., and thiamine 0.47 mg. per liter. 

 These results show that goat's milk is a very valuable source of the vitamins noted 

 above. 



The Variation in the Bacteria, Fat, Ascorbic Acid, and Riboflavin Content of 

 Goat's Milk. (Arthur D.. Holmes, Harry G. Lindquist, and Elliott K. Greenwood.) 

 The present curtailed supply of milk and milk products in Massachusetts has 

 stimulated the use of goat's milk instead of cow's milk, particularly in families of 

 foreign birth or ancestry. Coincident with the ;ncrease in the number of goats 

 and in the number of consumers of goat's milk, there has been an increasing de- 

 mand for information regarding the nutritive value of goat's milk. Accordingly, 

 39 samples of goat's milk were obtained from various localities throughout the 

 State. They were shipped to the laboratory carefully packed in ice and the 

 temperature on arrival was 34°-40°F. Sixty percent of the samples represented a 

 single milking of one animal, but the other samples were composites of milk 

 from herds of 8, 19, 50, and 65 goats. Four breeds of goats were represented, 

 French Alpine, Nubian, Saanen, and Toggenburg. Their ages varied from 1 to 

 12 years and the stage of lactation varied from 10 days to 36 months. None 

 of the goats received any corn or grass silage. The majority were stall-fed, but 

 14 of the samples were from goats that also received various herbage varying 

 from buds and twigs of bushes to good Ladino clover, timothy, and red top 

 pasture. The bacteria count varied from 20 to 21,300 per cc. The average for 

 38 samples was 3,500 per cc. or practically only 1/3 that allowed for certified 

 cow's milk. The fat content varied from 2.2 to 6.5 percent and averaged 4.3. 

 The reduced ascorbic acid of milk from the stall-fed goats averaged 15.1 mg. 

 and that from the goats which received some pasture averaged 20.0 mg. per liter. 

 The riboflavin content of the milk from the stall-fed goats averaged 1.24 mg. per 

 liter, which is identical with that obtained in a previous study. The average 

 riboflavin content of the milk from goats which had access to pasture was 1.02 

 mg. per liter, which is in accord with another observation that the riboflavin 

 content of cow's milk decreased from 1.43 mg. to 1.26 mg. per liter when a mixed 

 herd of cows was changed from a ration of hay, silage, and grain to a pasture of 

 young, rapidly growing green grass. Apparently the bacteria count, fat, ascorbic 

 acid, and riboflavin content of goat's milk vary considerably with the source of 

 the milk. These results also show that the goat's milk under consideration con- 

 tained fewer bacteria and less riboflavin, but about the same amount of fat and 

 ascorbic acid as cow's milk. 



Influence of Calcium and Magnesium upon Composition of Boston Head 

 Lettuce. (Arthur D. Holmes and Leo V. Crowley.) For many >ears lettuce has 

 been classed as a protective food since it contains minerals and vitamins which 

 are not present in adequate amounts in carbohydrate-rich and fat-rich foods. 

 While meat and dairy products are relatively rich sources of minerals and vita- 

 mins, they are much more expensive and at the present time can be purchased 

 in only limited amounts. Commercial and practical gardeners are of the opinion 

 that frequently the quality and yield of lettuce can be enhanced by supplement- 

 ing the usual lettuce fertilizers with lime or lime and magnesium. Accordingly, 

 a study was undertaken to determine whether the mineral and vitamin content 

 of lettuce may be significantly influenced by the use of these supplementary 

 fertilizers which were applied at the rate of 150 pounds of magnesium sulfate 

 per acre, 1,000 pounds of limestone per acre, and a combination of 150 pounds of 

 magnesium sulfate and 1,000 pounds of limestone per acre. The use of mag- 

 nesium sulfate as a supplementary fertilizer increased the magnesium content 



