758 Summary of Agricultural Experiments, [dec, 



examples are given of the difference in samples taken from the top and 

 from the bottom of the churn. In these two cases, the samples from 

 the top contained 4/60 and 5*90 per cent, of fat respectively, while the 

 samples from the bottom of the churn contained in one case 

 3 per cent, and in the other only 0*70 per cent, of fat. 



Winter Milk Production. — (Jour. Dept. of Agric. for Ireland, July, 

 1909).- — Experiments were carried out on two farms in County Cork to 

 compare the profitableness of winter and summer milk production. The 

 usual plan in Ireland is for cows to calve from March till May, the 

 greater part of the butter production taking place at the same time. 

 In winter, Ireland places little butter on the market, and consequently 

 is liable to lose the trade, and also has to be satisfied with lower prices 

 when large quantities of summer butter are offered for sale. Farmers 

 have been urged to take up the production of milk in winter, but have 

 objected on the ground that winter milk production did not pay at 

 present prices. The experiments here reported are intended to throw 

 light on the question. 



At each farm two sets of five cows were chosen, one lot timed to 

 calve in November, and the other lot in April. The most striking result 

 was the long period during which the November calvers kept up a large 

 milk yield compared with the short period of the April calvers. Thus, 

 in one of the experiments the five November calvers yielded 100 gallons 

 or over for 27 weeks, while the April calvers yielded the same quantity 

 for only 13 weeks, and the difference in the total yield of the two lots 

 amounted to from 100 to 160 gallons per cow. Moreover, the former 

 maintained their highest yield during the months when milk com- 

 manded the highest price, and the latter when prices were lowest. The 

 result was that, after allowing for all expenses, the average profit with 

 the winter milking cows was in one experiment ^'4 6s. 2d. per cow, 

 with the summer milking cows £1 16s. id. per cow. In the other 

 experiment, however, the difference was very much less, the amounts 

 being ^5 ijs. and ^4 12s. nd. respectively. 



It is considered that a cow timed to calve in November will produce 

 more milk per annum than when timed to calve in April, the difference 

 in yield being put at from 100 to 160 gallons. 



Soft Cheese-making. — (Journal of the Bath and West and Southern 

 Counties Soc, Fifth Series, vol. Hi., 1908-9). — Experiments were under- 

 taken at the Dorchester Show for the purpose of ascertaining the value of 

 different qualities of milk for making the varieties of soft cheese known 

 as Coulommier, Pont l'Eveque and Camembert. The experiments showed 

 (1) that the profit on making these cheeses is considerably more than 

 on selling the whole milk ; (2) that while the milks richer in fat make 

 the better quality cheese, the higher price paid for such milk does not 

 show such a corresponding advantage in the price paid for the cheese 

 as to warrant the use of richer milk than that usually yielded ; and (3) 

 that Shorthorn milk is more suitable for soft cheese-making than milk 

 from Kerry cows. 



Miscellaneous Dairy Experiments. — (Journal of Roy. Agric. Soc, 

 Vol. 69. 1908). — The following experiments were conducted in the Dairy 

 at the Newcastle Show, 1908. 



Effect of Pasteurising Milk for Butter-making. — Two lots of milk 

 from the Shorthorn and Jersey breeds were selected for this experiment, 



