454 Conditions Affecting Butter-Fat. 



Here the average value for the volatile acids is higher than in 

 the last series, and that for the refraction is correspondingly 

 lower. At the same time, the series includes five samples 

 giving what may be called "abnormal " figures. The series, in 

 fact, includes specimens of the products obtained from eight 

 different dairies ; and the lesson to be learnt from a perusal of 

 all the details furnished is that the samples of abnormal quality 

 were all derived from farms where the cows, out at pasture, 

 were reported as being in lean condition from under-feeding ; 

 and where, too, the weather had been for the most part wet and 

 cold at the period covered by the sampling. On the other 

 hand, where the weather had been warm and dry, or the cows 

 still stabled, and in good condition, the butter was of normal 

 composition. This is, perhaps, best illustrated by the figures 

 and_the report for one dairy of each kind : — 



I. — Factory giving " abnormal" but. er. 



Date of Reichert-Wollny Zeiss 



Sampling. Number. Number. 



2nd June 22*0 43 'I 



7th ,, 22-0 43'4 



13th 2ri 437 



17th „ 2V1 437 

 *' Weather cold and partly rainy. Cows at pasture ; underfed ; condition not 

 good." 



//. — Factory giving normal butter. 



Date of Reichert-Wollny Zeiss 



Sampling. Number. Number. 



1 6th May 30*9 39/8 



29th „ 30-8 39*Q 



10th June 30-0 39*9 



" Health, feeding, and condition of the cows are good. They are yet in t he 

 stable." 



For another factory the report was " health very good ; feed- 

 ing and condition average ; four-fifths of them are now on 

 pasture ; weather warm and dry." The two samples from this 

 dairy gave an average Reichert-Wollny figure of 28*2, and a 

 Zeiss-number 40*4, both samples being of normal composition. 



It should, however, be remarked that Dr. Werenskiold sub- 

 sequently furnished figures showing that some of the factories 

 which had previously yielded " abnormal " butter were still 

 to some extent producing butter of similar character, even 

 when, in the latter part of June, the weather had become warm 

 and dry. Probably the explanation of this is that the cows had 



