14 



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



SCALES. 



A good spring balance such as is shown in Fig. 8 is best for ordinary farm use. 

 They can be obtained from a dairy-supply house at small cost. These may be 

 obtained on which the dial is divided into pounds and ounces, or pounds and tenths, 



as preferred. The latter is much more convenient in 

 adding up the totals. These balances weigh 30 or 

 60 lb., and are made with a loose pointer which, by 

 means of a thumb-screw on the centre, may be set 

 anywhere on the dial, thus taking the tare of the milk- 

 pail. These scales should be hung in a convenient 

 place near the milk sheet, in the barn or dairy-house, 

 and at such a height that the figures will be opposite 

 the eye and easily read. 



CHATILLON'S 



IMPROVED CIRCULAR 

 SPRING BALANCE 



THE MILK RECORD SHEET. 



Fig. 11 shows a very convenient form of Milk 

 Record sheet. These may be obtained free of cost 

 upon application to the Live Stock Branch, Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, Victoria. 



Daily weighing of the milk from each cow is 

 recommended, because it is, after all, about as con- 

 venient as weighing at intervals, and the record is of 

 more value in that the dairyman can closely follow 

 daily fluctuations in the milk yield and study more 

 closely the results of his feeding. 



TAKING SAMPLES FOR TESTING. 



It is not necessary, in order to obtain approximate 

 results, to test a sample of milk from each milking. 

 This would involve more labour and expense than the 

 average dairyman would care to give. Experiments 

 show that if the milk from a cow is sampled and 

 tested two or three days out of each month and the 

 production of the month calculated from these figures, 

 the results will be within a very small fraction of her 

 actual performance. 



During two or three days each month a sample 

 should be taken from each milking and put into a 

 bottle corresponding to the name or number of the 

 cow milked. In onder to ensure a representative 

 sample of the cow's milk, it should be thoroughly 



Fig. 8. A good type of spring mixe <l by pouring from one vessel to another before 

 milk ' taking tne sam P le with the small dipper which should 

 be provided for the purpose. The sample bottle should 

 be kept tightly stoppered or covered to prevent evaporation. A preservative tablet 

 should be placed in each sample bottle before the first sample of milk is taken. 



Caution. Most preservatives used for this purpose are deadly poison, hence 

 should be kept away from children or other inquisitive persons. 



TESTING THE SAMPLES. 



The handling of the Babcock test has been fully described in the first part of 

 this bulletin. The test is simple, accurate, and easily mastered by any one who will 

 give the matter careful study and attention. 



The per cent, of fat should be posted on the month's record sheet and multiplied 

 by the pounds of milk. The product represents the amount of fat produced for the 

 month by the cow under test. 



scales used in 

 Capacity 30 to 



