GENERAL MANAGEMENT. 95 



mineral substances held in solution in the juices of the 

 living animal. 1000 parts of milk contain from 5 to 7 

 parts of ash or mineral matter ; and this consists about 

 one half of phosphate of lime (bone-earth), and the rest of 

 soda and alkaline salts. The following is a detailed 

 analysis of two samples. 



Ingredients of 1000 Ibs. of milk : 



l. 2. 



Phosphate of lime 2*31 Ibs. 3 '44 Ibs. 



magnesia . . . . 0'42 0*62 



iron 0*07 



Chloride of potassium . . . . 1 '44 



sodium . . . . 0'24 



Free soda . . . 0'42 



0-07 

 1-83 

 0-34 

 0-45 



4-90 677 



If a cow yields 600 gallons of milk a year, then, 

 whether this be sold away altogether, or converted into 

 cheese for sale, or set for cream and made into butter and 

 skim-milk cheese, or given to young stock to be afterwards 

 sold, these products being sold off the farm, it loses in this 

 way from 30 to 40 Ibs. of mineral matter from its soil. 



This is no doubt a small quantity ; but continued for 

 a long series of years it undoubtedly tells upon the 

 fertility of the soil, and is a loss to which rich grazing 

 grounds, where full grown animals are brought simply to 

 be fattened, are not subject. In illustration of the per- 

 petual drain of phosphates which the cheese manufacture 

 entails upon the soil, it may be mentioned here that the 

 dairy pastures of Cheshire have been wonderfully im- 

 proved by the addition of bone dust as a top-dressing 

 to the land, a manure which supplies just those ingredients 

 of which the cheese had deprived it. 



