6 
BULLETIN 1097, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
was spread on the platform underneath the 2 cows remaining in the 
stable and the doors and windows tightly closed. During the inter- 
val before milking, the silage odor so permeated the stable air that 
by the time milking was started a decided silage odor was present. 
It will be noted that the quantity of silage spread out would have 
been equivalent to 75 pounds per cow in an air space of approximately 
500 cubic feet. Table 1 shows the result of the experiment. 
Particular attention is called to the extreme condition of barn-air 
saturation used in this experiment. This exaggerated condition 
was obtained for the purpose of ascertaining whether or not the so- 
called silage flavor and odor might be air-borne to milk under extreme 
barn conditions. No legitimate excuse can be conceived for the pro- 
duction of milk in a barn without ventilation or with the small 
amount of air space used in this work to determine the above point. 
Manure was removed once each day and the barn thoroughly aired. 
Table 1. — Effect of milking in stable air saturated with silage odor. 
Result of sampling. 
Cows milked in 
silage atmosphere. 
Check cows milked 
in open air. 
^ 
Milk. 
Cream. 
Milk. 
Cream. 
415 
415 
415 
415 
Off flavor 
96 
319 
103 
312 
51 
364 
57 
358 
No off flavor 
Off odor 
51 
364 
77 
338 
19 
396 
31 
384 
One of the most interesting points brought out was that although 
in at least one-fourth of the cases the milk produced by the cows 
milked in the barn under these extreme conditions took on the off 
flavors and odors present in the barn air to a sufficient degree to be- 
come apparent to those looking carefully for them, it certainly did 
so to a less extent than is commonly supposed. The terms used in 
describing the off flavors and odors were, " barny," " flat," " slightly 
off," " off," " slightly strong," and " slight feed." It was observed 
that flavor and odor in the milk were designated by the matter with 
which they were associated. The off flavors and odors were found 
more often in the cream than in the milk. This would indicate that 
the fat of the milk absorbs off flavors to a greater degree than the 
milk plasma. 
While off flavors were noted in approximately one-fourth of the 
cases, a large percentage of these were reported as "barny," " strong," 
and " off," with but few notations of "slight feed." 
The terms used to describe the odors of the milk produced in the 
closed stable were the same as those used to describe the flavors, 
except that the terms " barny " and " musty " were used more often. 
