TURNIPS AND MILK.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4502, 11 December 1922, Page 1

TURNIPS AND MILK.

EXPERIMENTS AT WAITOA. An interesting experiment to ascertain the extent to which turnips flavour milk has been made at Waitoa under the auspices of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Co., Ltd. The suppliers of the Waitoa Dried Milk Factory decided at the end of last season to eliminate the use of turnips in connection with the feeding oif their dairy cOws. At the same time, it was agreed that a careful feeding test should be made in the autumn with a view to seeing how far turnips could be used without tainting the milk. To that end it was arranged with Mr R. Farrow, of Waitoa, Io make the trial with milk from his herd. Describing the experiment, Mr W. Y. Kirkman, the company’s outside supervisor,'said the experiment was of a threefold nature: (1) About one ton of turnips was carted out to the night paddock by 9-30 a.m., and the cows, about 40 in number, were fed directly after the evening’s and the morning’s milk was dried after separation. The turnip flavour was* noticeable in the whole milk on the receiving stage, and was very pronounced during drying, and could easily be detected in the dried milk powder, immediately after manufacture. (2) About one ton of turnips was carted out by 9.30 a.m. on the first day, and fed Io the 40 cows after milking on the evening of the day following. This was continued for three days, and tlhen the evening’.', and the morning’s milk was dried. No flavour was detected in the whole milk, nor was it noticed during the drying process, and it could not be traced In ' the powder immediately after manufacture. The third experiment was’ to feed the same amount of turnips to the cows pulled straight from the paddock and given immediately to the cows. The result was that the turnip flavour was readily detected in the milk and was very pronounced in the drying process. The whole atmosphere was permeated with marked odour of turnips.

Mr Kirkman added that there was an abundance of grass feed in the paddock in which the turnips' were fed to the cows. This would be a dominating factor if compared to a dry season when grass would be short. METHOD OF EXAMINATION.. Mr Kirkman said that these experiments were made in March ..last. Three”cans of powder, one can representing each of the experiments, were set aside and were re-examined on August 16 last. The method of examination was as follows 1 : Samples were drawn from the three, cans by the factory manager, Mr H. Kinhihurgh, who 'alone knew from which cans the samples had been taken. Each 'sample was then mixed up in the usual manner and placed for grading and inspection by Messrs' 3P. Smith, milk powder expert; E. W.. Hughes, a chemist.; and Mr Kirkman. The results were noted by.each person separately, and in each case the classification was in entire agreement. It was found that 'the best powder from the three samples submitted was that from the second feeding experiment, that is; the product of milk that had been drawn from the cows after-they had fed on turn'ps which had been left waiting for 36 hours -The worst powder from a flavour point of view was obtained from the milk produced' from experiment No. 3, in which, case the turnips lyere fed directly after pulling. Mr Kirkman said that the flavour of this powder was such ,as to seriously" depreciate its quality from a selling point of view. FURTHER EXPERIMENTS PLANNED. Proceeding, Mr Kirkman said the results shown from the experiments made very significant, and 'i careful review of; the evidence would feadily .enable the layinan to understand the value of - feeding turnips judiciously. It was evident, he added,, that the farmer had it in his own to make or mar, the quality of his products, and remembering that quality was a vital factor! in the enVday markets as far as dairy produce w"s concerned, it was.absolutely necessary that each supplier o? '1 factory should,, dp his utmost to maintain the highest standard' possible. Mr Kirkman said that the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company had decided, in view of the result of the experiment that he had carried out, that turnip-flavoured milk received at the Waifpa. dried milk factory would not be used in future for drying, but would be treated s’epartely and would be paid for according to its quality, provided it was not so bad as to merit rejection. Mr Kirkman said it was intended -that further experiments should be carried, out this* season for the purpose of ascertaining, the effect of turnip feeding on butter. With regard to last season’s experiment with the dried milk, Mr Kirkman pointed out that the turnip flavours were not nearly so pronounced as 1 they would have been had other feed teen short and had turnips been' the only feed that the cows had to eat. In ar. average autumn when the supplier had .to depend wholly on turnips to maintain his milk supply, the difficulties fpllowing the use of turnips would be greatly accentuated.