Sugar of Milk. 



247 



The number of rabbits and hares exported from New 

 Zealand has increased during the past 

 Export of Rabbits five years from 25,240 in 1894 to 

 from New Zealand. 4,251,600 in 1898; they are exported 

 frozen in their skins. The principal 

 development in this trade appears to have taken place in 

 1897. In 1896 the number exported was 358,000, valued at 

 ;£ 7,000, but in the succeeding year no less than 2,229,000 

 were exported of a value of ,£46,400. Notwithstanding 

 the increased number exported in 1898, the trade appears 

 to have been more remunerative, the value at which they 

 are returned rising from £2-08 per 100 in 1897 to £2-2 1 

 in 1898, or an increase of about 2 s. yd. per 100. 



Among the by-products of the dairy is sugar of milk, 

 which is made from the whey obtained 



Sugar of Milk. f rom cheese factories or creameries, and 

 is mainly used in the preparation of drugs and medicines and 

 various foods for infants and invalids'; it has a very delicate, 

 sweet taste, but is not so sweet as cane or beet sugar. In a 

 bulletin issued by the tJnited States Department of Agricul- 

 ture, it is stated that this component of milk was discovered 

 late in the 17th century, but it was not until the first half 

 of the present century that practical methods were 

 invented for separating the sugar from the milk in a white 

 and crystalline form. For many years Switzerland was the 

 principal producer, though small quantities were made 

 elsewhere. The United States was at one time the principal 

 customer of Switzerland, and took about three-fourths of the 

 total exports, which were valued at ^12,500 annually. 

 Between 1880 and 1890 the manufacture of sugar of milk 

 became established in two or three places in the United 

 States. The price of the article in America was at that time 

 about i5d. to i8d. per pound, but it has since fallen to 

 between $d. and 8d. per pound. There are now in the States 

 of New York, Ohio, and Illinois four or five factories of con- 

 siderable size making sugar of milk. They use whey from 



