The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-10-08
VALUE OF MILK.
The Effects of Churning Practically and
Scientifically Considered.


The alimentary value of milk, cream,
butter, butter-milk and skinned milk
Is question of much interest to dairy
men and farmers, who should know
precisely what benefit is gained from
the use of the refuse of the dairy.
Milk is a complete food; that is, it con-
tains every necessary alimentary ele-
ment in the right proportion to sustain
life; the proteine; the sugar and the fat
which make up the carbohydrates;
and the mineral W aters which are
needed to supply the growth of bone
and tissue and to sustain the force and
hest of the vital functions 1t will
supply all the necessaries of a young
and growing animal, and consequently
will maintain a mature one in full
health and strength. Moreover. as all
its solid substance is contained in solu-
ton, it is easily digcstible. 1t is there
fore a perfectly nutritious and healthful
food. An average sample of good
milk consists of eighty-seven and a half
per cent. of water, three and half
per cent of fat or butter; three and
half per cent. of caseine or cheesy
matter; four and half per cent of
sugar and one per cent of mineral
matter.
This valuable product seems to have
been designed for the use of mankind
as well as for food for calves, for the
fat which it contains is in excess of
what is needed for the sustenance of
calf, for calf may be quickly fattened
upon new milk, and fat is not at all
necessary fol- a young and growing an
imal, which requires muscle and bone
rather than fat. So that the cream
may be taken from the milk and made
into butter, and the skinned milk left
may be used for rearing calves quite as
we'll as the new milk, under certain
circumstances. Cream consists of
from twenty-five to forty per
cent. of butter or pure fat; one
and half to two and half
per cent of mineral matter; forty to
sixty-fiye per cent. of water, and five
to seven per cent. of caseine and sugar.
1t varies very much in accordance with
the manner in which it is separated
from the milk and with the quantity
of milk which is held among the
globules of which it is formed by what
is known as molecular attraction. But
ter consists usually of eighty-tive per
cent. of fat, one half per cent. of case
inc, three-fourths per cent. of sugar,
thirteen per cent. of water and small
quantity of mineral water. When
pure, cream and butter are both entire
ly digestible and are exceedingly rich
and nutritious food; in fact there is no
more nutritious food existing and no
other that is perfectly digestible and
assimilative.
Necessarily when the cream is taken
from milk, the skinned milk remain
ing is less nutritious than the whole
milk, as it has been deprived of large
portion of it's carbohydrates; but it is
still an exceedingly valuable food, es-
not taking much exercise, and which
do not need SO large supply of carbon
as animals which expend much heat in
the process of respiration which is
greatly accelerated by exercise.
SKINNED milk contains ninety and one
half per cent. of water, three and one
half per cent of caseine; four and one
half per cent. of sugar and about one
per cent of mineral matter and about
one-half per cent of fat. 1t is seen to
be deficient only in fat, and still con-
tains all the sugar of the milk, which
supplies the carbon needed by the
young animal to large extent. When
milk is sour a change has taken place.
A part of the sugar has been changed
to Tactic acid, and the acid has precipi-
tated the caseine before held in solution
and made it solid. The acid of
milk aids digestion somewhat, so that
while sour milk is not SO digestible as
sweet milk, yet digestion of the solid
caseine is helped by the acid of the
milk. The nutritive value of the sour
milk has been lessened somewhat by
the change of a part of the sugar into
acid, and also by the change of the sol
uble caseine into solid matter, which is
more difficult Of digestion.
Butter-milk is considered better
food than skimmed-milk, and probably
because it contains one and half per
cent of fat and the caseine is so thor
oughly beaten up that while it is really
precipitated and solid, yet the particles
are broken up very finely and so much
mixed up with the fluid portion, that it is
more digestible than the ordinary sour
skimmed-milk. The larger portion of
Tactic acid contained in it also i'm
proves its digestibility. Hence fresh
butter-milk is often recommended by
physicians as healthful and nutritious
food for persons of weak digestion,
and if this is true of it, it must be "a
good food for calves and pigs. 1t might
also be mentioned that cream is also
recommended for the use of persons
suffering from lung disorders and weak
assimilation, on account of the perfect
digestibility of the fat contained in it,
but it is for the fat only that it is
valued. Henry SteUdrt, IN Rural Nea0