Lecture on Milk. 
413 
agreed in the main with other iniblishccl analyses of ewe's milk. But 
on making the second analysis from the milk of ewes on the College 
farm, which had lambed ahont three days, I was struck with the very 
great diflerence in quality exhibited, the latter sample containing 30 
per cent, of solid matter, whereas in the former we have only. 16. I 
have not learned, in the case of the Dulce of Eichmond's ewes, what 
time had elapsed since they lambed — a circumstance which very much 
influences the quality of the milk ; indeed the first milk yielded by 
the ewe after the lamb is dropped is more like cream than milk. I 
have reported to the Duke of Richmond that the milk was of good 
quality compared with other samples of ewe's niilk, analyses of which 
I made, not in England, but on the Continent : it is quite possible 
that, after all, this milk was of an inferior quality, but we have not 
sufficient data to establish the fact. It is very interesting to notice 
the high concentration of the milk of ewes in the first three or foiu' 
days after lambing, a circumstance which explains the difficulty which 
is experienced in bringing up a lamb when the mother has died 
shortly after its birth. I propose now to reserve a couple of ewes, 
and to analyse their milk from time to time, that I may ascertain 
what is its average composition, and to what extent it gi-adually 
becomes poorer. 
The quality of cow's milk is affected by the age of the animal, as 
well as by the distance fi'om the time of calving. An old cow does 
not yield such good milk or as much milk as a young one. I have 
seen an analysis of a very poor milk, analysed in Holland by Dr. 
Baumbam-, which came from a cow which has had ten calves. Nothing 
appears so unprofitable as to keep cows for so long a period. Gene- 
rally speaking, after the foui-th or fifth calf, the milk becomes poorer. 
Climate also affects the quality of the milk in a remarkable degree. 
In moist and temperate seasons and localities we obtain a larger 
quantity, though generally a poorer description of milk, than in dry 
and warm coimtries. The quality of milk is thus affected by the 
temperatm-e, and the amount of moistm-e in the atmosphere ; but 
•something no doubt is also due to the greater amoimt of water which 
in wet seasons is present in the produce. That the general state of 
health and condition of the animal has a marked influence on the 
quality of the milk, need hardly be stated. 
The time at which the milk is taken is said to have also an efiect upon 
the quality. In most agricultural treatises you will find it stated that 
morning milk is generally richer than evening milk ; but my results do 
not favoiir that general notion. Out of thirty-two samples which I ana- 
lysed, taken in the morning and the evening of the same day, I found 
in eight cases the morning poorer than the evening milk, in fom- cases 
I found it richer, and in four there was no perceptible diflerence. I 
had taken it for gi-anted that the morning milk was the richer ; and 
indeed the fii-st three analyses which I made confirmed this impression ; 
but, on extending the series of analyses, I foimd a larger number of cases 
in which the evening was richer than the morning milk. This was a 
useful warning against hasty generalisation. The conclusion at which 
I arrived is, that the time of day has not so much to do with the 
