Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-12-17


out by one of the best known dairymen
in the country: "The form and features
of a good dairy COW are so essential that
they can hardly be too strongly impressed.
A good COW must be long. level and
loose jointed, with capacious body,
short, fine legs, long, light neck, clean
cut, intelligent head, thin withers, deep
fianks, thin, fiat thighs and rich, soft,
mellow skin, showing deep orange
color under white markings and inside of
ear. Viewed from the side. a perfect
wedge shape, exceedingly deep behind,
and very light in front. Viewed from be-
hind, she must show ample room to carry
a full udder with ease. No COW can do this
that has beefy conformation and not
good arch. The udder should be soft and
silky, well quartered, teats evenly placed
and uniform in size, the udder milking
out seemingly to nothing. The vein
should be exceedingly large and sinuous.
Beware of thick skinned COW. On the
other hand, one that is too thin, indicates
delicacy of constitution. In an animal
that handles well, there is that soft, pecu-
liar, velvet touch that is soon learned by
experience.
George Abbott says, in answer to the
question "Shall the sale of skim milk be
prohibiteds asked at the Media Institute;
''Skim milk is not sufficiently appre-
ciated as an article of diet. Numerous
chemists and and dietists have testified
to its great food value, and their concur
rent testimony is that that most impor
tant and necessary, though expensive por-
tion of our diet, the protein, is to be had
in skim milk, at about one-third the cost
of the same article in beef or mutton.
The process of skimming, which simply
removes the fat, leaves not only the valu
able protein intact in the skim milk, but
the sugar also, which forms nearly one
third of the total solids of the milk. This
in skim milk we have the protein and the
sugar in form easily digestible
Professor James w. Robertson of the
Ontario Dairy School, in talk before
our State Dairymen's Association, said:
"After the straining is attended to, the
milk should be aerated Too often it is
poured into one large can and left there
just as the cows have given it. That neg
lect implies three things that are very in
furious to it's quality for cheese max
ing. Q). The peculiar odor which the
COW imparts to the milk will be left in
it until it becomes fixed in the flavor,
(2). The germs of fermentation that come
in the milk and from the air have the best
condition for growth and action when
the milk is left undisturbed. (3). Then
thorough coagulation by rennet. Hence
it is needful and advantageous to aerate
it for three reasons. First, because by
pouring stirring dipping or by trickling
it over an exposed surface there is elimi-
mated from the milk by evaporation any
Objectionable volatile element that may
be in it. Secondly, because as has already
been stated, the milk contains germs of
fermentation. One of these are called
vibriones A strange popularity about
these microbes is that they become active
only in the absence of free oxygen. When
warm new milk is left undisturbed car
bonic gas is generated, and that fur
nishes the best condition for the COM
mencement of action by these almost
invisible creatures After they get started
they can keep up their work of decom-
position even in the presence of oxygen.
1t is impossible to so coagulate such milk
as to yield a fine quality of keeping
cheese Coagulation by rennet of milk that
is ripe can never be perfect unless it has
been thoroughly aerated Immediately
after it is taken from the COW. Neglect
of aeration will increase the quantity of
milk required to make a pound of cheese.
Thirdly, because the airing seems to give
vigor to the germs of fermentation that
bring about an acid condition of the milk
without producing the acid. So much is
this SO that it has been found impracti-
cable to make strictly first class Cheddar
cheese from milk that has not been
aerated. "The subsequent cooling of
milk retards the process by which it is
turned sour. Certain germs of fermenta-
tion exist in milk, which in the act of
multiplication split one molecule of sugar
of milk into four molecules of Tactic acid.
By delaying the operation of these germs
the milk is kept sweet for a longer period.
The cooling of the milk should never pre-
cede the aeration. A temperature of from
IS to 20 degrees Fahrenheit will be found
C I'D enough for the keeping of milk over
night when it has been previously aired.
Milk is liquid of absorbent proclivities.
1t should be protected against injury that
would result from exposure to impure
air. A general purpose milk stand is a
device specially adapted for the spelling