FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 187, 11 September 1909, Page 6

FARM AND DAIRY.

FAKING TESTS. "Skim Milk"'writes to the editor:— In a recent issue you published an article on "faking" tests at factories, etc., and quote Mr. Goodland's and some statements made by him regarding the appointment of an independent tester. Now, sir, that, to my mind, is an old hobby advocated either by someone who wants a billet or has a friend who does. Tlie idea may seem all right in theory, but in -practice, it will fail every time, for the simple reason that the manager can "fake" the tests by adding water ov skim milk to the samples before the "independent]' tester get 6 them, and by a little experiment he (the manager) can soon find out the amount of water necessary to reduce his tests by two lr throe points. Now, to my mind tho only way an independent tester could do any good would be by taking samples out of each supplier's milk and keeping them "under liis_eye" until they were tested, which -would mean that each factory would need its own tester. He might do a little good by visiting the factory one day each week. Then one expert could do six factories; and even then-the results he would achieve would not be worth the cost, even though it were only a small amount. 1 cannot conceive of any reason, except the one mentioned, why men of any standing in the industry should advocate such a system. The taking of the sample for the test must always be part of the manager's work, and no system yet devised can hinder hiin doing the faking then. Consequently the remedy is to get an honest man and trust him. I don't think any director (and I'm one) would ask a manager to "write down" the tests, and I consider the suggestion, an insult, whether it comes from Mr. Goodlaud Or the "News."

The old discussion on the fairness or otherwise of paying for milk for checs?nialcing on its butter-fat value is again revived. 'Many dairy farmers (says our Carterton contemporary) have recently introduced purebred Jerseys to improve the quality of the milk. A comparison of the balance-sheets of tEe several companies goes to show that a high average of butter-fat does not give an increase of cheese, and thai milk showing an average Test of 3.8 per cent, of butterfat produces as much cheese as milk showing 4.2 per cent, and upwards of butter-fat. It is, therefore, considered unfair to pay for milk for cheese-making on its butter-fat value.. Unfortunately, there is no simple method of testing milk for its solids other than by the Babcoek test fo r butter-fat. A remedy has been suggested of paying for milk half on its butter-fat value and half at per gallon.