The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1897-02-06
FARM AND GARDEN.
BREED AND PRODUCTION
AS Considered With Especial
Reference to Milk.
BUTTER STRAINS SAFEST.
But ii Should be Remembered That
Good Feed Must Go With Good
Breed in Order to Get
Satisfactory Results
Other Farm
News.
BUTTER STRAINS SAFEST.

The variation in the quantity and quality
of the products derived from animals is
very great, and the frequent claim that the
breed is in the trough is disputed by
progressive farmers. Mill, varies to such
an extent that dairymen who have endeav-
ored to secure uniformity find no two cows
alike in every respect Even when full
sisters are fed exact quantities of food diff
ference in products will result. This is
more noticeable, however, with cows that
have no pedigrees. 1t is true that the feed
makes the milk, but the feed does not in
crease the capacity to digest assimiate and
convert the material into milk. The pro-
ductive capacity of some cows is enormous,
being almost difficult of belief by those who
are satisfied to make darying a business
with cows that cannot yield large quaint
ties of milk, no matter how much feed is
given, and the variation in quality is fire.
quently as great as the difference in guam
tty. In fact while mill; is considered a
standard article of fixed quality by many
farmers and consumers, several States have
been compelled to pass laws to protect it
not only against adulteration with water,
but also to prevent the sale of that which
falls below a certain percentage of solids
when unadulterated.
THE SOLIDS IN milk
Milk should contain not less than II per
cent. of solids to he up to the standard, but
it will fall below or exceed that proportion
according to the cows from which it comes.
The solids also vary, some containing more
butter fat than others, and others, and, as
the test value of milk in market depends
also upon its proportion of butter fat, it is
an important matter to have as much hut
ter fat in the milk as possible. The protein,
lime and mineral matter in general is in
the skim milk, which is more valuable as
food than the butter fat, considering its
cost in plant food removed from the soil
1t is impossible to state the correct proper
ton of butter fat in milk, but the average
is that 100 pounds of milk is estimated to
give IL pounds of cream, which should pro-
duce about 81 pounds of butter \ quart
OF milk weighs two pounds and tire.
ounces, hence it can be estimated that three
quarts of milk may exceed the average
mentioned, and give about one pound Of
cream, of which about II ounces NAV he
estimated aS buttemilk, leaving four
ounces of butter fat, which would make
about four and five eighths ounces of but
ter But as the butter fat may vary from
as low as one per cent to five per cent
even when the solids are over II per cent,
it would require large number of tests to
arrive at correct average. The buttermilk
contains mostly the casein, albumen and
milk sugar, all comprising portions of the
solids. The estimate of four per. cent, Of
butter fat is given simply as an illustration
WHAT SOME COWS HAVE DONE.
Some of the highest records made by
cows in fair tests are by HolStpins, Jerseys.
Guernseys and Swiss, one COW yielding, in
a public test, ST. pounds of milk (nearly
IS quarts in one day, which contained 3 81
pounds of butter fat from which could
have been made about four pounds and
three ounces of butter had it been churned.
In that case, while the proportion of butter
fat was not as great as that from some
other cows, yet it was an enormous yield
of milk with the butter fat, such a COW
being valuable as producer of large daily
amounts of rich milk. Cows have been
known to produce milk containing over
five per cent, of butter fat, but the guam
tity OF milk yielded was smaller. The
common cows do not everage 10 quarts of
milk, nor over three and one half per cent
of butter fat To arrive at the amount of
butter to expect from a quantity of butter
fat multiply the butter fat by 1.15 The
solids may reach over II per cent, and yet
the milk may not be ''rich" because the
butter fat is lacking, and when the milk is
deficient in solids it may ne said to he
watered by the COW instead Of by the milk
man. The dairyman vino will breed from
the butter strains, however, will seldom
fail to have the necessary solids in the
milk. The best cows are those that give
large yields of milk and at the same time
are also excellent butter producers, as milk
is itself commercial article independently
of butter. 1t must not be denied that the
food is also very essential as breed and
feed make an excellent combination.
NOTES
Grass land that was plowed last fall and
left in ridges should he first worked early
with disc cultivator, so as to cut it up,
and to do the work properly the disc cult