132 THE BOOK OF BUTTER 



animal is probably a greater factor than breed or individ- 

 uality in influencing the nature of the fat." 



Influence of breed. — It has already been seen that the 

 breed has a certain effect on the condition of the milk- 

 fat. Eckles and Shaw ' assert that the breed apparently 

 is a factor having some influence on the Reichert-Meissl 

 number, which is. a measure of the volatile acids. The 

 highest Reichert-Meissl number was found in the Jersey 

 fat, while the fat of Holsteins gives a lower reading. This 

 statement coincides with the expression of Hunziker, Mills, 

 and Spitzer,^ who state : " The butter-fat from Ayrshires 

 and Holsteins contains less volatile acids and more olein 

 and makes a softer butter than that from the Jerseys.'' It 

 would seem from these statements that the fat from the 

 Guernseys and Jerseys would churn with more difHculty 

 than that from other breeds. However, from actual 

 experience in churning, it is known that the milk-fat 

 from these breeds collects more readily than that of the 

 Ayrshires and Holsteins. The probable reason for this is 

 that the larger fat globules in the milk of the Guernseys 

 and Jerseys cohere more readily in the churning process 

 than the smaller fat globules of other breeds. In 

 creameries where large quantities of cream are handled 

 this factor is not of great importance. 



Influence of stage of lactation. — The milk-fat produced 

 in the latter part of the period of lactation is more difficult 

 to churn than that of any other stage. Hunziker, Mills, 

 and Spitzer ^ found that, at the beginning of the period 



' Eckles, C. H., and Shaw, R. H., The Influence of Breed and 

 Individuality on the Composition and Properties of Milk, U. S. 

 Dept. Agri., B. A. I., Bui. 156, p. 27, 1913. 



2 Hunziker, O. F., Mills, H. C, and Spitzer, Geo., Moisture 

 Control of Butter — 1, Factors not under Control of the Butter- 

 maker, Purdue Univ. Agri. Exp. Sta., Bui. 159, p. 356, 1912. 



