XV. 



MILK AND MILK PRODUCTS 



327 



They found the average amount of fat to be at its maximum (4*30 

 per cent) in November, at its minimum (3 '79 per cent) in June; the 

 solids-not-fat showed a maximum (8 '92 per cent) in October and a 

 minimum (8 - 71 per cent) in August. 



The writer's experience with the herd at Garforth, gave the follow- 

 ing average figures : 



indicating that the fat content is lowest in summer. The actual in- 

 fluence of season, however, in all these results is obscured by those 

 of food, conditions of existence whether at pasture or in stall and 

 other circumstances. 



Influence of time and manner of milking. In most cases cows are 

 milked twice a day morning and evening. The intervals between 

 the two milkings are usually unequal, being often ten or eleven hours 

 and fourteen or thirteen hours respectively. It is almost invariably 

 found that the proportion of fat is distinctly greater in evening's than 

 in morning's milk, and in some cases the difference is very great. The 

 author J has shown that by altering the intervals between the milk- 

 ings, a considerable change in the proportion of fat in the milk occurs. 

 Thus five cows, milked at intervals of fifteen hours and nine hours as 

 is usual at Garforth, gave at each milking an average of 



These were then milked at intervals of twelve and a half and eleven 

 and a half hours for five weeks. During the last of these weeks the 

 average results were 



1 Trans. High, and Agric. Soc. Scotland, 1903. 



