120 



MILK 



lactation. For the first six weeks there was a marked decline; 

 then they remained fairly constant in size, and at the close of lac- 

 tation decreased rapidly. The number of globules increased as 

 the size diminished. Graphically the decrease in size is given in 

 Fig. 26. 



According to Eckles and Shaw the melting-point of the fat 

 rose shghtly as the size of the globules diminished. However, at 

 the end of lactation there was sometimes a marked rise. 



Fig. 27. — Chart showing the relative size of fat globules, the Reichert-Meissl 

 number, the iodin number, the saponification number, and the melting-point 

 (Eckles and Shaw). 



The Reichert-Meissl number decreased gradually during the 

 major part of the lactation period and dechned more rapidly to- 

 ward the end. There is a remote possibility that butter has a 

 lower Reichert-Meissl number than 25 if obtained from the milk 

 of a small herd with a number of cows in the last stages of lacta- 

 tion. Richmond suggests that butter with a lower number than 

 25 must be looked upon as suspicious, but such an assumption 

 should be treated with caution. 



