Influence of Food on Kind of Milk 321 



ported to have varied in ways corresponding to the 

 composition of the oils, a result not at all improbable. 



In looking over the record of investigations along 

 this line it is found that food rich in sugar and other 

 soluble carbohydrates is credited with producing soft 

 butter, potatoes are charged with the same effect, and 

 even cooked or sour foods are said to have a peculiar 

 influence. Some writers go so far as to present lists 

 of feeding stuffs in the order in which they increase 

 the volatile fatty acids, but such definite representa- 

 tions must at present be taken "with a grain of salt." 

 In most instances, no relation is established between 

 the effect observed and the market value of the butter. 

 In fact, it is distinctly asserted by one or two experi- 

 menters that there is no clear relation between the 

 melting point and hardness. It seems quite probable 

 that when the ration includes a variety of grain foods, 

 practically the entire list of feeding stuffs maybe uti- 

 lized under proper conditions without damaging the 

 market value of the butter for local consumption. 



2. Effect of food upon the flavors of milk and its 

 products. It is not possible with our present knowl- 

 edge to establish a relation between the flavors of dairy 

 products and the presence of definite compounds. What- 

 ever causes flavor in milk or butter is generally present 

 in such minute quantities that even if the nature of the 

 substance was known the determination of its amount 

 would be beyond the skill of the chemist. Milk satis- 

 factory to the critical taste and smell may be so simply 

 because bad flavors are absent, or there may be present 

 the positive influence of some constituent of the ration. 



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