452 



Conditions Affecting Butter-Fat. 



Some interesting particulars relative to this question have been 

 furnished me by the late Dr. Werenskiold, of the State Laboratory, 

 Christiania. He forwarded the details of the analyses of a con- 

 siderable number of samples of butter taken from the churns of 

 various factories in Norway by the Government inspectors ; and 

 with these details are supplied certain facts respecting the stabling 

 and feeding of the herds which produced the milk used by the 

 factories in question. It may be mentioned that a number of 

 Norwegian samples, stated to be the same butter as many of 

 those referred to by Dr. Werenskiold, have been examined in 

 the Government Laboratory, London, and that this department 

 has substantially confirmed the analytical figures obtained in 

 Norway. 



First come two series of samples, one taken in the winter and 

 the other in the early spring, which, presumably — though this is 

 not expressly stated — represent the normal composition of the 

 butter when the cows are properly stabled and fed. For the 

 present purpose the results may be thus summarised : — 



Butter taken from the churns at various factories by the Norwegian Inspectors : 



No. of Date of Reichert-Wollny Figures. Zeiss Number. 



Samples. Sampling. 3 s 



Lowest. Highest. Average. Lowest. Highest. Average. 



1 8 15th Nov. to 23rd 



Dec., 1898. 26-8 347 30-4 38-8 39-9 39'3 

 S 22nd April to 3rd 



May, 1899. 29-8 31-9 31-2 39-2 41-0 39-9 



Bearing in mind that the Reichert-Wollny value for butter 

 of normal composition lies generally between 24 and 32, whilst 

 the Zeus number may vary from about 43 to 38, it will be seen 

 that the figures indicate that the butters are normal samples in 

 all cases. 



The next series of samples deals with a little later period, 

 extending up to the end of May. Dr. Werenskiold's remarks 

 relative to one of the farms may be quoted as fairly typical of 

 the particulars furnished for eleven out of the twelve samples 

 referred to : — 



The spring came very late this year, so the fodder has run 

 short, and the cows have been underfed; their condition is not 

 good, but their health is all right. They had to be turned on 

 pasture already from the middle of May or a little later ; on the 



