The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-05-19
Variation In Test of Milk.

1t is conceded by all fair-minded
men that each patron of creamery |
should receive credit for Just the |
amount of butter fat he delivers-no |
more and no less-and the only way to
determine this is by weighing and test
ing the milk. There are many patrons |
who are frequently troubled with a sus-
picion that the testing, either through |
carelessness or dishonesty, is not cor
rectly done. They think 30 for the |
reason that the test, from week to week |
and month to month, is constantly |
varying up and down. They do not
see how this can be, and absolutely re-
fuse to believe that it is possible, and
ask, How can it be?"
We cannot answer. Science has not
yet been able to tell us; yet we know
that it is 30, sometimes without any ap-
parent cause, and sometimes we think
we can see the cause. We have found
that when cows are worried, discon-
tented, excited, or uncomfortable, from
any cause, the test almost always goes
down, especially COWS with sensitive,
nervous temperament.
AT the Columbian Dairy Test, in
1893, there were three herds, of as
many different breeds, in the test, Jer-
seys, Guernseys and Shorthorns, and
twenty-five cows in each herd. The
milk of each was tested each day, with
the Babcock test, in the most careful
manner by experts; and these tests
were correct, for they were verified by
the chemical analyses of the butter,
skim milk, and buttermilk. These
agreed almost exactly with the Babcock
test. The test of the individual cows
varied from one day to another, fire.
quently one per cent, and In some in
stances two per cent, and even as high
as three per cent in one or two cases.
The test of the combined milk of
each herd varied considerably from day
to day. The Jerseys tested June 21st
40; 22d, "a; 23d, SO; Oath, 4.8. The
Guernseys tested August I'd, A; Sd,
10; 4th, As. The Shorthorns tested
July 25th, 3.5; Goth, 81; 9th, 40;
2Sth, 3.S.
Now, what caused these variations?
1t was not change of feed, for there
vas no sudden change of feed. 1t was
not the weather, for it so happened
that when these sudden changes of
one-half to one per cent occurred in
one herd the other two herds did not
change at all, or at most, only very
little. The weather was the same for
all of them. But there was cause.
We don't know what. Nobody has ever
been able to tell us.
When the patron of a creamery finds
his test going up he is satisfied, but
when it goes down then he kicks, and
is sure he is being cheated. "Why
should it go DOWN." he says. 81 have
been feeding just the same"
We visited creamery on April "a
this year. A test had just been made
and some of the patrons, who were in
quiring into it, found that their test
had fallen off, since the last test, one
half per cent and more. A very few
had not fallen off. Then there was 9
great row. They abused the butter
maker shamefully, and accused him OF
cheating them. He could only say, 81
have tested the milk fairly and that is
what you have brought me-"
Two days after / visited one of the
Hoard creameries, which is nine miles
from the one first visited. l looked
over the test sheet. Here they test
every third day. April "a they tested
the milk of the 21st, 22d and 23d. /
found the same thing had happened
here. The test of those days had
dropped with nearly all the patrons
from one-half to three-fourths per cent,
while very few had kept up. Now
what was the matterP We have been
trying to investigate.
! Those DAYS, the milk of which was
tested, were the first real warm, grow
ing days of the season. There had
been light showers during the nights.
but the days were fine and the grass
seemed to pop up as if by magic. We
tried to investigate further and learned
how the cows of some of the different
herds were cared for. We did learn in
relation to few of them. Those thai
dropped off in the test were turned in
the yard in the morning, and stayed
there all day. The owners say they die
not notice anything peculiar in the &C
tions of their cows, but knowing wha
we do of the nature of cows, we think
we could tell how those cows acted
We think they walked uneasily around
and longingly and wistfully looked ovel
the fence at the green grass and with
elevated noses shifted it's delicious fra
GRANGE, and every now and then utter
ed soft "moo," asking as plainly a.
they could to be allowed to crop it
We have many times seen cows ac
just that way. They were fretting and
worrying because they wanted to gel
out to grass, and that worry would be
sufficient to cause the fall of the test.
We made inquiry as to the way the
herds that did not fall off in test were
used those particular days. We did
learn in relation to two of them. They
were exceedingly well fed and were
out only long enough to drink, because
the yards were muddy. They were
kept in the stable, lying quietly on q
good bed, and contentedly chewing
their cuds. They were not fretting
about the green grass for they could
not see it, and its fragrance hardly
reached them in the stable.
Our mothers used to say that there
was time "between hay and grass
that the milk Of cows would NOT make