TURNIP AND CABBAGE TAINTS IN MILK.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1355, 5 February 1912, Page 8

TURNIP AND CABBAGE TAINTS IN MILK.

METHODS OP PREVENTION. Turnips and swedes, ns well as cabbagto, are all in their way very good loods for milking cows, because tbev aro essentially milk-making in their effect, but (says the "Farmer and Stockbreeder") they have cno disadvantage in that their-us* involves tho risk of the milk becoming tainted with a bitter or turnipy llavour unless duo precautious arc taken to avoid this disagreeable result. Tiio tairiffng! effects which these roots anil cabbages ara liable to exert on the milk are duo to tho strong turnipy or cabbngy odour, as tho'case may lie, which is inherent in their juices and which they exhale. The principal precaution that is called for is always to servo roots to the cattle after milking has been done and alter the milk has been removed fTom the cowhouse, so having placed it beyond tho •reach of the smell diffused in the byre by the pulped rcots or the cabbages. And let it here be'said that, the smell is always- much stronger when the roofs or cabbages are cut up, so that tho juices exude and are exposed to the air, than when in a whole state. Hy observing the simple precaution named, most, if not all, of the..risk of the milk acquiring- a bad taint will usually lie avoided. If this is neglected and the cows are given the swedesor turnips or the cabbages previous to-Mn'g' milked, or when milking is activity proceeding, then there is every likelihood of the milk becoming contaminated.with the smell which, owing to its. volatile character pervades tho whole atB'.osphero of the cowhouse. .TURNIPS WHICH TAINT..' Turnips are particularly liable to taint tho milk under careless management, beings tho worst offenders in this respect, though cabbages are nearly as bad, while swedes aro the least harmful of tho three. Besides giving rise to a bad flavour in tin milk'in the mannei explained, which is tho way this contingency usually happens, a taint may also be imparted by roots and cabbages, in 'consequence , of their being fed in unduly large quantities. It is always desirable, to avoid using them to excess, this'being as important a precaution to observe 'as that of supplying them to the cows in the byre utter milkjng only. It would be difficult to explain why a very free use of these foods is liable to impart an objectionable ' odour and. .taste, to the milk, when this risk can be avoided if, due nrccautioinis exercised and moderate quantities are ■used. A genuino and convincing Teason Jias apparently never yet been assigned for this; but," nevertheless, according _to tho common experience of practical dairy farmers, it is a fact which lias to be reck-., oned with. A useful additional precaution which can bo observed, in order to guard against the possibility of tainting the milk, consists in mixing, a plentiful, amount cf r.haff with'.tho fulpal roots or cabbages. This is certainly a very excellent plan, nnd may bo strongly advised, not only for the reason just stated, but also from ji general point of view, because the mixture of highly succulent roots or cabbages •with dry chuff represents a very suitable, combination. Mixed with pulped rcots for some time previous to use, straw chaff jissumes a considerably' more palatable form than when dry, on account of its Absorbing tho juice from the roots. CUTTING OPE THE CROWNS. 'Another precautionary measure advocated by some is that the necks of swedes or the crowns of turnips I>° m> elf. :i '•■- ing said that the most pungent smell of the roots is concentrated in tnese. pans, and that therefore if they are eliminated tho risk of.the milk acquiring a taint.is minimised. It may, however, be questioned whether there is really anything in this theory, and certainly, iriajiy will not subscribe to its correctness; hence it may •well be nuestioned whether it is really •worth while to adopt this precaution, which undoubtedly involves a lot of extra, trouble, to say nothing of the waste it entails, though the eliminated portions might, of course, lie given to the pigs. In any case, the risk of turnip taints in milk can be successfully obviated by fced- . ing the roots after milking, avoiding excessive quantities nnd, if necessary, also mixing chaff with tho pulped roots,.so that there would appear to. be no real need for the additional precaution of eliminating tho crowns. But in the case of cabbages, it is undoubtedly advisable to remove any outside leaves which happen to be nartinlly. decayed, for such aro without question, on account of their very strong smell, much more liable to taint the milk than the sound portions of the cabbages. It has been suggested that if cows are . nupplied with a lump of rock salt to lick this will minimise the risk of the foods named above tainting tho milk, but it is difficult to understand what action the cno factor could havo unon the other, and lvhv, therefore, salt should act as a [preventive.