Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-01-29
FACTS ABOUT MILK.
Farm News Tells of What II Con-
sists and Its Nutritive Value.

"A uuJTt OF mix, three-Qll3TtcrS OF a
pound Of moderately fat beef and five
ounces Of wheat flour all contain about
the same amount of nutritive material.
Milk has been regarded Il perfect type
Of food, as it contains all Of the differ
ent kinds of nutritive materials that
the body needs. This. however, is true
only of young or growing persons. but
in adults engaged in active employ
ments it fails to furnish necessary
proportion of heat and force-producing
elements.
The production and distribution Of
milk and milk products are 50 widely
pra cticed in the United States that this
is regarded as the leading dairy coun-
try of the world In 1859 the annual
value of our dairy products was esti
mated to exceed 500. 900 900, and the
value of the mich COWS about $210, 600 :
$50. There are about 1I.000.000 cows in
| this country, or one to every four In
hatitants. one cow. however, fur
nishes the milk, butter and cheese for
more than four persons. as large guam
titles of our dairy products are export
ed.
! Although this is the leading dairy
country in the world, it does not lead
in the per capita consumption of our
dairy products. one of the principal
reasons for this is the failure of Amer
| leans IL appreciate the food value of
milk and its products.
Milk is a whitish Opaque liquid. but
when placed under the microscope it is
seen to consist of n clear, transparent
fluid containing many globules of vari-
Gus sizes. The fluid part, called milk
serum, consists of water and all the
other constituents Of milk except fat.
| and these other constituents. although
solids when separated and dry. are all
| practically dissolved in the wat.T. The
globules are little bodies of I-3 fat
sea Uttered through the serum I'D moi
dissolved.
Milk is composed Of ST per cent
water and Is per cent. solids. The
solids include fat. Sc per cent; casein
| So per cent; albumen, Z per cent:
| milk sugar, A. per cent. and ash. per
cent. These constituents vary between
wide limits: the various solids may be
as low as 10 or as high as Is parts in
100. Most of the states and many
cities have a legal standard for I'll.
composition Of milk. and any falling
as adulterated, although it may be the
pure natural product. The law usual
| ~ requirer . or IL per cent. Of fat
and Q or . 1-2 per cent of solids not
fiat The total solids required vary
| from - to Is per cent. according TO
the different laws. In Ohio it is II l.
per cent. of solids, and one-fOurth Of
| this must be butter fat.
| The solids are present in the serum
| in largest quantities. and there is also
Il little fbrin and mineral matter pres
ent in small quantities. and there is
also little fibrin like the fibrin in
blood. There is more sugar in milk
| than in any other solid. but it is in
solution. This milk sugar can be
separated and brought into solid form.
AS sold it resembles powdered white
sugar This is used to some extent by
druggists. and in some food prepara-
| TONS but it is not as sweet as cane
sugar and it's value is not sufficient to
| induce ito manufacture in large quaint
| ties 1t is the sugar that burns 10 the
| bottom of the vessel when heated, and
| il is also the sugar that underGoes the
greatest change when milk becomes
| sour The cascin and albumen of milk
are its heterogeneous constituents. and
are comparable to the white of an egg.
| The mineral matter in milk called ash
or salts. is the indestructble part that
remains when milk is evaporated to
dryness and burned; this consists
chiefly Of phosphate and chlorides OF
soda, potash and lime.
When sugar is dissolved in water il
is less clear than pure water. and If
many small bodies a very little lighter
than water We're thoroughly mixed in
to the solution, their rise would be
more or less retarded by the thickness
Of the surrounding fluid. Milk might
be compared to q thin syrup with
many fatty and light particles floating
| in it, as just described 1t is sticky
| because Of the solids held in solution
and this thickness. together with fbrin,
| has n considerable effect in retarding
! the rise Of the fat globules and the for
| nation Of the cream layer.
! The fat globules are SO small that
many millions Of them are found in a
single drop of milk. Globules of differ
ent sizes are found in the milk Of. diff.