356 
Supplement to the " Tropical Agriculturist." [Nov. 1, 1893. 
powers of the stomach, it will tend to become 
" pot-bellied '' and unthrifty. If scour occurs, 
even wlien all care is taken, a drink of milk 
freshly drawn from the cow will prove a cor- 
rective, while constipation may be corrected by 
the addition of laxative food, such as boiled bram. 
If such a system is followed, and the little animal 
is kept warm and given a dry pen, the change 
from their dams to the pail can be made with 
little difficulty. 
Stock of all kinds are not unlike minkiad in 
some respects, and seek shade whenever pos- 
sible during extreme heat. To gratify this desire, 
shade should be provided wherever practicable 
by means of trees ; otherwise, and while trees 
are growing, it would be only humane to 
provide a temporary shelter of some kind, 
such as setting up a few posts and covering 
with poles upon which are thrown branches of 
evergreens or even limbs of trees in full leaf. 
This will afford a useful shelter. 
An American paper recommends that a handful, 
or more, of salt thrown into the churn when 
the cream begins to granulate, assists in the 
separation of the butter, wiiile the butter milk 
■will draw off much more freely. We have tried 
this, and found it true. 
A case of great interest and importance as bear- 
ing upon the adding of water to milk came before 
the London Police Courts. A respectal)le farmer 
was charged with sending milk to the metropolis, 
■which in one instance was alleged to contain 
six and in another seven per cent of added water. 
It turned out, however, on Mr. Lloyd, the well- 
known analytical chemist, examining samples of 
the mixed milk of 17 cows belonging to the 
defendant who had the animals milked in the 
presence of the chemist, that they contained eight 
per cent more witnr than wliat is regarded as 
the normal standard. The explanation offered 
is that the -water over the usual proportion was 
due to the e.xcepl ionally poor qualily of the 
milk ; in other words, to the very small preceutage 
of solids, <.nd that was to be attributed to the 
miserable quality of the herbage caused by the 
charade.- of the season. 
The Scottish Fanner writes as follows on the 
above case : — It shows that in exceptional cir- 
cumstances milk may contain a large percentage 
of water without any being added from " the cow 
with the iron ta.iV' — in other words, without any 
water being literally mixed with it. it is of the 
utmost importance that the public should be 
protected against paying for water when they 
should have milk. It is so from an ordinary 
commercial point of view, and it is so also from 
the further consideration that the people should 
get nourishing food when they believe they are 
purchasing it. But it may be asked, Is a man to 
be liable to be punished for adding water to milk 
when in reality he vends it in its strictly natural 
condition ? Of course there is a way of feeding 
cows with sloppy food for the express purpose 
of making them produce a large quantity of 
poor, thin milk which, when sold by bulk or 
per gallon, will yield a large return. M'liile 
that should be provided againitt, it may be hard 
on a farmer, such as in ti)ii= case, whose milk is 
watery although his cows are feeding on the 
natural pastures in the fields. 
Mr. Francis Watt of the Government Laborat ory 
Antigua, has wisely exposed the defects in the 
use of the lactometer: — The lactometer merely 
indicates the density of a fluid and gives no in- 
dication of its character ; and if plunged into 
ani/ solution having a density of about 1030 
will indicate it as " pure milk," hence any addition 
to the adulterated milk which will raise its density 
to the required point will render the lactometer 
inefllcient to detect the addition of water. 
Another and more serious defect arises in the 
following way : —The cream or fat of milk has a 
lowt;r density or is lighter than water, (the 
reason why it floats on the surface) hence if the 
cream be removed tlie remaining skim milk will 
have a higher density than normal milk, and the 
density in this way may be brought up to 1 0:10 
or 1037 (that is 36 or 37 on the lactometer). 
If now water is added in proper quantity, the 
density may be reduced to 1-O;i0. Here then 
we have the lactometer indicating as " pure milk," 
milk doubtly sophisticated, firstly by 
abstraction of cream, and then by addition of 
water. The lactometers commonly made are 
adjusted at a temperature of 00° F., being intended 
for use in temperate climate^. Should it be 
necessary to use a lactometer gradula ed at 60", 
at a temperature of 82° or 84° F., then 3' should 
be added to the reading. Thus a sample of milk 
tested with a lactometer gradulated at 60° and 
showing a density cf 27, should have ,3 add^-d, 
thus bringing the true density up to 30. 
The lactometer may be tested by floating it 
in pure rain water when it ikould float to the 
O mark, since the specific gravity of water is 
1000 ; if it is gradulated at 60° and is floated in 
water at say 84° F., it will sink about 3 degrees 
below the 0 mark, and in this way the amoun 
to be added to the readings to correct them for 
temperature may be found. It is very desirable 
that every instrument should be so tested before 
use in order that any error may be detected and 
allowed for in the manner described. 
The lactometer is a useful instrument to th« 
dairyman who superintends the milking of hit 
cows, and enables him to ascertain the quality 
of milk of different animals so far as the 
percentage of water in milk is concerned ; but it is 
of little or uo value to the purchasers of milk. 
The evil in the use of the lactometer, however, 
is that few know its exact character and capabi- 
lities or how to use it correctly. Most people 
make no allowance for the temperature of the milk 
when tested, not knowing that the specific gravity 
of a fluid varies with its temperature. Fortunately 
for the dairy industrj-, as well as for buyers of milk, 
there is uo->v m.ire than one means of rapidly 
and conveniently testing milk. 
Dr. Voelcker, the well-known chemist of the 
Eoyal .\griculturul Society of England, regards th» 
populat idea th&t morning's milk is of a better 
quality than that drawn in the evening as a fallacy. 
1 As far as his experience goes, he says, the result 
