VOLUME OR FAT ?

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 466, 26 March 1909, Page 2

VOLUME OR FAT ?

THE COW FOR THE MILK VENDOR. THE JERSEY'S PLACE. In liis advocacy of-municipal milk control and purchase of supplies on the butter-fat content Dr. Frengley, district health officer for Wellington, says:— "Ono often hears it said that from the purely business point of view tho ideal oovv to supply tho milk vendor is ono which will givo a largo volume or quantity of, milk., That this shquty bo so is obvious, bo long as milk is bought or sold by quantity, at so much per gallon. Tho veoidor is, in such caso, in no way interested in tlio 'food content' per gallon. Colloquially speaking, 't-lio farther it goes' is all ho seeks. Tho.Holstcin, Ayrshire, and some Shorthorn breeds, for instance, givo a larger volumo of milk per milking than the Jersey, but at tiro samo time the milk, comparatively speaking, is less 'rich.' There is a lower porcent-ago of food content, less total solids, and less milk or butter-fat, and a larger percentage of natural water.

"A dairy factory depends for its business welfare on tho quality of tho milk; quantity is of moment only if it goes hand in hand with quality. But if quality ,_ not quantity, is of commercial value, as it is to tho Dominion's very valuable dairyi industry, no argument can bo advanced to urge that tho food valuo of milk which is intended to bo consumed as milk by householders, and more ©specially by their children, shall bo less than that supplied to dairy factories.

"Again, it is 110 of municipal control that tbo progeny of t-lio milk suitpliers' cows may or may not provo good beef. Tho 'food' noiv concerned is milk, not meat, and surely 88 parts of-water in 100 of standard milk is quito cnonch to pay for as part of that food. I admit there are farmers who conduct their business in such slipshod and happy-go-lucky ways that their poorlyfed cattlo'will not produco standard milk; but it is contrary to reason to hope that tho city's children can thrivo 011 tho milk, of half-starved coivs. Further, tliero, is »o method of analysis which can distinguish between tho natural water of milk and that added to adulterate—to 'make it go farther.' The amount so addod is, however, readily deduced, sinco tho solids and water in milk bear a constant relationship for all normal milks. It is quito possible for a milk supplier to increaso tbe quantity of, say, a supply from a Jersey herd, and yet oscapo tho law. I need not hero specify how, for obvious reasons. Tliero is 110 reason, however, why tho corporation should pay for added water, tho moro so when this may bo in tho form of increased freightage. Tho householder himself can reduce tho strength of a milk if ho so chooses, and it certainly should bo left to his option alone, by adding Wellington water—which ho knows is good—or by taking off a little cream.

"It is, therefore., essential that tho milk shall bo bought 011 a quality basis—that is, as in dairy factories, at: so much per pound of buttcr-fat. This is tho only safeguard against paying for too much water, and a good way to encourage tho supplying farmers to keep the-best of stock and send ifx tho richest of milk.

"Those difficulties now arise:—Firstly, by established custom, milk for household supply has been bought from time immemorial by ''quantity; secondly.. the suppliers—tho farmers—arc- at present petting more by selling at per gallon to milk vendors than by sending to a convenient dairy factory and drawing monthly cheques for pounds of butter-fat. Tho only feasible way, it seems to mo, to overcome theso difficulties, is that tho corporation shall purchase fcho: milk from tho farmer, giving him such a price for the butter-fat in it, landed at tho up-country station', as will tempt him to sell milk to tho corporation rather than to tho^ nearest dairy factory." i