1905-] 



Milk Testing in Denmark. 



23 



by attending an agricultural school, acquired the elements of 

 agricultural science. Special courses are held for persons in- 

 tending to take up the position of control-assistants, in which 

 instruction is given in the special knowledge required, i.e. y 

 systems of feeding, milk sampling and testing, book-keeping,. 

 &c. It is obviously important that the assistants should be 

 capable and trustworthy men ; but as the position is regarded 

 as an excellent training ground for young men intending to* 

 become agricultural officials, inspectors, &c, or farmers on their 

 own account, the salary is usually small — about £23, with 

 board and lodging. The outfit required for the work consists 

 of Gerber's milk-testing apparatus, the size ordinarily used being 

 for twenty-four tests, with the necessary test tubes, sample 

 bottles, &c, and a steelyard for weighing milk, the whole being 

 packed in a box for transport. The cost is about £\2, and this, 

 together with all books required, is supplied by the society. 



With regard to the consumption of fodder, it was necessary to 

 arrive at some unit by which the relative value of the various 

 feeding-stuffs could be expressed. For this purpose numerous 

 experiments were conducted in Denmark, at first with pigs 

 and afterwards with cows. In these experiments, which were 

 conducted on a number of farms, the object throughout was to> 

 compare one feeding-stuff with another. Thus in the earlier 

 tests with swine in 1885 and 1&86, skim-milk and whey were 

 compared, and it was concluded that 1 lb. of skim-milk pro- 

 duced the same result as 2 lb. of whey ; similarly, a comparison 

 of grain and skim-milk showed that 1 lb. of grain had the same 

 effect as 6 lb. of skim-milk. Tests of a similar character were 

 begun with cows in 1887, and were continued until 1895. At 

 the end of the experiments, the conclusion arrived at was that 

 the quantities of feeding-stuffs mentioned below might be treated 

 as equal to one another and calculated as one " feeding-unit." 



I lb. mixed corn. 12 lb. turnips. 



i lb. wheat. 4 lb. straw. 



I lb. bran. io lb. green fodder. 



1 lb. oilcake and other concern 



trated foods. 



2 lb. clover hay. 

 2\ lb. meadow hay. 



IO lb. mangolds. 



4 lb. potatoes. 



2 lb. whole milk. 



6 lb. skim-milk. 



12 lb. whey. 



