192 Of the properties of Milk. — Poudrette and Stable ijianure. Vol. Vllf . 



Of the Properties and Composition of 

 Milk. 



The milk of most animals is a white 

 opaque liquid, having a slight, but peculiar| 

 odour, which becomes more distinct when the 

 milk is warmed; and of an agreeable sweet-| 

 ish taste. It is heavier tlian water — usually 

 in the proportion of about 103 to 100. When 

 newly taken from the animal, cow's milk is 

 almost always slightly alkaline. It speedily! 

 loses this character, however, when exposed 

 to the air, and hence even new milk often 

 exhibits a slight degree of acidity. When 

 left at rest for a number of hours, it sepa- 

 rates into two portions, throwing up the 

 lighter part to the surface, in the form of 

 cream. If the whole milk, or the cream 

 alone, be agitated in a proper vessel — a 

 churn, — the temperature of -the liquid un- 

 dergoes a slight increase, it becomes dis- 

 tmctly sour, and the fatty matter separates 

 in the form of butter. If a little acid, such 

 as vinegar, or diluted muriatic acid, be added 

 to milk warmed to about 100° Fahrenheit, it 

 immediately coagulates and separates into a 

 solid and a liquid part — the curd and the 

 whey. The same effect is produced by the 

 addition of rennet or of sour milk; and it 

 takes place naturally, when milk is left to 

 itself until it becomes sour. At a very low 

 temperature, or when kept in a cool place, 

 milk remains sweet for a considerable time. 

 At the temperature of 60^ Fahrenheit, it 

 soon turns, or acquires a sour taste, and at 

 70° or 80° it sours with still greater rapidity. 

 If sour milk be gently warmed, it undergoes 

 fermentation, and may be made to yield an 

 intoxicating liquor. By longer exposure to 



the air, it gradually begins to putrefy, be- 

 comes disagreeable to the taste, emits an 

 unpleasant odour, and ceases to be a whole- 

 some article of food. 



The milk of each species of animal is dis- 

 tinguished by some characters peculiar to 

 itself. 



Ewes' milk does not differ in appearance 

 from that of the cow, but it is generally 

 mote dense and thicker, and gives a pale 

 yellow butter, which is soft, and soon be- 

 comes rancid. The curd is separated from 

 this milk with greater difficulty than from 

 that of the cow. Goals'' milk generally 

 possesses a characteristic unpleasant odour 

 and taste, which is said to be less marked in 

 animals of a white colour, or that are des- 

 titute of horns. The butter is always white 

 and hard, and keeps long fresh. This milk 

 is considered to be very wholesome, and is 

 often recommended to invalids. Ass''s milk 

 has much resemblance to that of the woman. 

 It yields little cream, and the butter is white 

 and light, and soon becomes rancid. It con- 

 tains much sugar, and hence soon passes to 

 the state of fermentation. Milk, like vege- 

 table products, consists, besides water, of 

 organic substances destitute of nitrogen — 

 sugar and butter ; of an organic substance 

 containing nitrogen in considerable quantity 

 — the curd or casein ; and of inorganic, or 

 saline matter, partly soluble, and partly in- 

 soluble, in pure water. 



The proportions of these several constitu- 

 ents vary in different animals : this appears 

 in the following table, which exhibits the 

 composition of the milk of several animals 

 in its ordinary state, as found by Henry and 

 Chevallier: 



100.00 10( 



From the numbers in the above table, it 

 appears that the milk of the cow, the goat,' 

 and the ewe, contnins much more cheesyi 

 matter than that of the woman or the ass.' 

 It is probably, this similarity of asses' milk 

 to that of the human species, together with: 

 its deficiency in butter, which, from the 

 most remote times, has recommended it to 

 invalids, as a liofht and easily digested drink. 

 —r Johnston'' s Lectures. 



100.00 



100.00 



100.00 



Poudrette and Stable Manure. 



In a note to the Editor, from D. K. Minor,' 

 dated the 6th instant, he says : " I send you| 

 herewith an extract of a letter from Mr. T.i 

 B. Tovvnsend, of Newtown, L. I., who was^ 



long an unbeliever in the value of Poudrette, 

 but who now uses it largely." He says : 



I have the pleasure of stating, that I have 

 used Poudrette of the manufacture of your 

 company, and have seen its good effects on 

 flowers and garden vegetables generally; but 

 more especially when used on wheat, and 

 grass following it. 



In the fall of 1841, I manured a field for 

 wheat with the best stable manure from the 

 city of New York, at the cost of 833 per 

 acre, except one acre through the centre, on 

 which I put forty bushels of Poudrette, at 

 40 cents a bushel, and transportation i!l, — 

 equal to !i^l7 per acre. On cutting the grain 

 in 1842, I could perceive no difl'erence, ex- 

 cept that the straw was shorter where the 



