BELGIUM. 



377 



Calculating by the table aforesaid, the jury decided the amount of 

 cream given by the eight highest at the time of calving to be as follows, 

 and awarded the prizes accordingly : 



Some of these cows had calved more than seven months previous, and 

 the rule was not applied to them, but special prizes were given. Six 

 cows from eight to nine months previous ; four cows from ten to eleven 

 months previous : four cows from thirteen to fourteen months previous; 

 three cows from seventeen to twenty-two months previous. One of 

 them had calved more than twenty- two months previous, yet she gave 

 as her daily yield 20.546 liters of milk, from which was taken 1.36 liters 

 of cream. The jury awarded her a prize, as they say, "for her remark- 

 able persistence." 



It must not be supposed these were the only cows tested, or that 

 these were the only prizes awarded. Subdivision or groups were made 

 according to residence of owner, age of heifer, &c., and this of which I 

 have been speaking is only the report of the jury on milk or cream. 

 There were several others. The milk of some cows contained three 

 times as much cream as others. One gave 15.80 per cent, of cream, 

 while another gave but 4.74 per cent. 



In the majority of cases the morning milk was superior to that of the 

 midday or evening. 



The specific gravity varied between 1,026.3 and 1,038. Of the one 

 hundred and sixty-eight samples of milk tested for specific gravity, 

 twenty five fell below 1,029. 



