The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1879-10-31
starch and Sugar as Butter Producers.

1t is an old and quite generally re-
ceived idea that starch and sugar may
be transformed in the body into fat !;
but this was simply an inference from
the chemical composition, with scarcely
direct observation to justify it. IL it
not strange that our dairy writer's
men who should value their reputation
and have an eye single to the truth of
their teachings-should be making pos
tive statements that starch and sugar
may be transformed into fat in the body
of the COW, when nearly all observa-
tons point in the opposite direction.
This is certainly a most important and
practical question. Its solution must
have great influence on the composition
of the ration, and on the value of GER
tain kinds of food; and it is, conse-
quently, one deserving attention-one
that it is the duty of the writers to I'M
derstand before spreading their opin-
ions in regard to it broadcast over the
country.
In an article entitled "What is But
terY" in the Rural New Yorker of Dec.
z, DIR. Hoskins says: "About the glo-
bnles, then, which are butter in its first
stage, how are they produced from the
blood of the COW? The blood of all
warm-blooded animals contain fatty or
oily matter, derived from the food.
Some of this comes directly from the oil
of the plants that are eaten. Besides
this, the digestive organs are able to
transform starch and sugar into fat"
The National Live Stock journal, in its
issue of March, 1879, in an endeavor to
fortify its position in regard to the val
ne of the sugar in milk, says that "In-
dian corn is the best type of fattening
food, and that it is the large proportion
of starch that makes it such;" and far
Their on, gives Q quotation from Prof.
Arnold, in which occurs this somewhat
remarkable passage in regard to sour
milk: "The fact that it has been de-
prived of its fatty matter, does not de-
stroy its utility as food for producing
butter. Chemists agree that sugar can
-souring is the first step in digestion
towards that end. Hence milk rich in
butter may be produced from sour milk
which has been deprived ofits butter."
No one would suppose, from the writ
ings of these gentlemen, that there was
any doubt among chemists and physiol-
ogists in regard to the transformation of
sugar and starch into fat; but If we go
into study of the question, aud exam
inc the evidence, as well as the opin-
ions of those who are, acknowledged to
be the best authorities, we will get
quito different impression.
In the last volume of lfhe Country
Gentleman, gave an account of some
experiments made by Volt, who is per-
haps the best authority living on such
questions, which showed that in the
body of the dog, at least, starch was not
transformed into fat. IL was long sup
posed that bees could manufacture wax
"a fat-like substance from honey-a
Carbohydrate; but later experiments
have shown this conclusion to be incor-
rect. Bees can only manufacture wax
q short time after they are put upon q
pure honey diet; that is TO say, aslong
as the store of fat and aibhminoids
which they have In their body can be
drawn upon. 1t is with the manufact-
ure of wax by bees just as with that of
fat In the animal body--increasing the
Carbohydrates beyond q certain point has
but little effect on 1t, while increasing
the albuminoids has a peculiarly favor
able effect. sf7&'Sf AV' .
The strongest evidence that can now
be cited in favor of the transformation
in question, Is the result OF the pig-feed-
ing experiments Of Lawes and Gilbert,
and these are not sufficient to decide SO
important q question, and, at the most,
prove nothing in regard to cattle.
Later experiments by Weiske and
Wildt, undertaken with view Of de-
Gliding the question, do not confirm the
conclusions of Lawes and Gilbert. The
German experiments with sheep and
cattle, IL we except two experiments by
Kuhn, show that with these animals the
fat In the gain Of weight or in the milk,
Is fully accounted for by that In the