NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Auo. 



said the Professor, "for her laughing incessantly, 

 but that of showing her teeth." Dr. Saunderson 

 was blind from infancy, but became eminent as a 

 classical scholar and mathematician.and occupied for 

 many years the chair of mathematics in Cambridge 

 University, England. He judged philosophically, 

 and from his observation- of human nature, in the 

 case of the lady's teeth ; but he possessed in a de- 

 gree the sense of feeling and hearing. He could 

 distinguish true from counterfeit Roman medals by 

 the touch. He could tell, by some effect of the air 

 upon his person, when light clouds were pas>i!ig 

 over the disc of the sun. When he entered a room, 

 he could judge of the size of it by the sound of his 

 footsteps. 



For the New England Fanner. 



MILK. 



[TRA!iSIiATED FEOM THE FRENCH.] 



ORDINARY MILK— THE MILK OF SPAYED COWS. 



Notwithstanding the important ])lace milk occu- 

 pies as an article of diet, nothing is more common 

 than milk of poor quality. The conditions under 

 which milk is produced, explain the rareness of 

 good milk. 



If we examine the milk of a certain number of 

 cows in the country, we find united, 1st, the milk 

 of cows that calved 10, 15, 20 or 30 days previous. 

 (1.) 2d, the milk of cows in heat, and essentially 

 prejudicial to health. 3d, the milk of cows with 

 calf. (2.) 4th, and as an exception, a small quan- 

 tity of good milk, that is, milk from cows that 

 calved 5 or 6 weeks previous, and which are neith- 

 er in heat nor in a state of gestation. It is there- 

 fore seen that milk is in most part of mediocre 

 quality, or of a nature unfavorable in respect to hy- 

 giene ; and yet this milk furnished by farmers, sur- 

 passes by far, the milk from cows kept in stables in 

 the city. 



The condition under which cows in city stables 

 are kept, produces another cause, grave, serious, 

 which greatly adds to the poor quality of milk 

 above designated ; we mean pulmonary consump- 

 tion, by which a large number of cows are attacked. 

 Has it not been stated, in fact, by veterinary phy- 

 sicians, that one-half, at least, of the cows kept in 

 stables in Paris, are phthisical ? 



Is it not evident that such milk is not only de- 

 prived of it-; nutritive qualities, but is very injuri- 

 ous to health ? And the water, which in the re- 

 tail is added to this milk, assuredly does not redeem 

 the original vices. 



In regard to the alterations in milk arising from 

 the manner in which the cows producing it are 

 kept, it is diflicult to estimate them, otherwise than 

 by their taste. As to milk diluted with water, con- 

 sumers can easily prove this fraud. A first means 

 consists in the employment of a small instrument 

 simple, and of small cost, called galactometer or milk 

 weigher. Plunged into the milk, it indicates exact- 

 ly, by its divisions, the quantity of water which has 

 been added, whether a quarter, or a third, or a 

 half; for it is not rare that milk is diluted in the 

 latter proportion ! Or a certain quantity of milk 

 may be lelt to remain for six or eight hours in a 

 cylindrical glass vase, called a guage, or in an ordi- 

 nary glass. After this lapse of time, the cream 

 •which has risen to the surface, and which is distin- 

 guished by its color, reveals by its thickness, and 



still more by the resistance it presents on touching 

 it, the butter quality of the milk, that is, its rich- 

 ness in the principles proper for the extraction of 

 butter. 



In the establishment we have founded in Paris 

 under the name of "Dock modele de la vie a bon 

 marche," (3.) the trade in milk has extended consid- 

 erably. Although the Dock delivers to consumers 

 milk which is obtained from the country only, and 

 rejects the milk which turns in the operation of 

 boiling, it is often complained that the milk bought 

 of the Dock has turned. We will take this oppor- 

 tunity to observe, 



That the best and purest milk will turn under 

 the influence of a change of temperature, improper 

 care, and the employment of an improper pan or 

 vase, etc. (4.) 



That the administration of the Dock might pre- 

 vent the decomposition, accidental moreover, of its 

 milk, by adding water or the bicarbonate of soda. 



But this establishment, limiting itself to selling 

 pure milk, leaves it to the consumer to add these 

 articles. 



As it is in bad spirit to indicate an evil without 

 pointing out the remedy ; and having proved the 

 poor and often bad quality of ordinary milk, we 

 are happy to speakof milk of an excellent quality, 

 which is yet unknown to consumers, and of which 

 the Dock modele de la vie a bon viarchf has the 

 honor of popularizing the use. 



THE MILK OF SPAYED COWS. 



This milk is produced from cows which, after the 

 fifth or sixth gestation, and five or six weeks after 

 calving, undergo an operation which consists in the 

 ablation of the ovaries, thus rendering the cows 

 henceforth incapable of reproduction. (5.) From 

 this lime, as happens in regard to the ox^ the ani- 

 mal changes in nature, and its milk which we have 

 named, milk of spayed {lait de beuvonnes) is free 

 from all perturbations. The spayed cow does not 

 undergo those disturbances arising from being in 

 heat, from gestation and parturition ; she is free 

 from those causes which produce such evil efiects 

 in the quality of milk. 



In this new condition of the cow, her milk be- 

 comes regulated, and — which is important to the 

 farmer — lactation is maintained in full quantity for 

 a year at least, and is prolonged, diminishing in 

 quantity but increasing in quality, two and even 

 three years, when she is not too old and is proper- 

 ly kept. When lactation has ceased, the cow, 

 which has, by a quiet and reposed life, become con- 

 siderably increased in flesh, may be delivered to 

 the butcher in perfect condition, and the meat is 

 superior to that of ordinary cows. By generaliz- 

 ing the spaying of cows after the fifth or sixth 

 gestation, there would be introduced into common 

 use, milk of an irreproachable quality. 



The milk of spayed cows gives more cream than 

 ordinary milk ; it is also richer in caseum, which 

 constitutes, a fact generally unknown, the most 

 nourishing part of milk. Hence, the superior qual- 

 ity of the milk. The butter extracted directly from 

 the milk, is delicious in taste. It testifies to the 

 amount and richness of the caseum it contains. — 

 This milk offers precious resources for the artificial 

 nursing of infants; it might be asserted that they 

 will be better nourished. For the nourishment of 

 infants, who give it the preference over other milk, 



