THE RELATIVE VALUE OF MILK.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2452, 29 March 1888, Page 3

THE RELATIVE VALUE OF MILK.

(From the Canterbury Press.) The question has alto been put to us, how would you adjust the value of each man's miik? for it is well known that milk varies very much as regards its richness; this being entirely dependent upon the nature of the grass, anil quality of the cows and treatment they receive. In order to obviate the difficulty of distinguishing between rich and poor milk, and giving the value accordingly, two courses are available. Ist. That payment be made for the cream actually separated by the separator, disregarding the quantity of milk, unless it is utilised by the factory in feeding pigs (a course we do not by any means advocate). A price could be fixed for a standard weight or for a standaid volume, say, per lb or per quart. 2nd. That the milk be tested for its percentage of cream after thoroughly mixing the cream ami milk by stirring, received from each contributor. This is very important (that is the mixing) in order to secure an average sample. 'Hie exact estimation of fat 10 chemical analysis is a somewhat tedious operation and requires skill, but comparative results can readily be obtained by means of creamonH-tcrs. These consist of glass tubes closed at one end, and divided into 100 parts, the iirst twenty of which are etched in the upper part of the tube. On filling these tubes, and allowing them to stain! for twenty-four hours, the cream will separate and cm the v. be read off, tiic number of divisions representing the percentage of the creim by volume. This method, although not strictly correct, gives cood comparative results, and without much trouble. The main point to be attended to is the selection of an average sample of milk as obtained through mixin". Payment could then be made, according to I xed scale per gallon of milk. As an exampl; let us take milk yielding 12 per cent of cream to be the standard at 3d per gallon. Then milk containing 11 per cent, would be worth 2.? d per gallon ; containing 10 per cent., 2\ 11 ; containing 9 per cent., ; 8 per cent., 2d j 7 per cent., I jd; 6 per cent., 111 other words lix a price per unit of cream per cent, either ;ld as above, or l-od or 1 Gd according to the market value. The profits could then be divided pro rata according to value given in terms of cream. This would be an incentive to the producer to improve the quality of his milk by good feeding. It has been frequently shown that it takes three gallons of milk to make one pound of butter ; but we have known cases where it took over four gallons to produce the same quantity, while 011 the other hand three gallons of milk have yielded two pounds of butter, but this milk was from Oows which had been fed on sweet hiy, crushed oats, and barley meal, with fresh clean water. The following table will still further illustrate what wo have endeavoured to explain as to the value of milk. Slipposing the factory wished to purchase milk. The values could be determined as follows, say Value s. d. P. Smith supplies milk with 13 per cent, of cream at 3.} d ... 10 10 J. Jones supplies -lOfjals. milk with 12 per cent, of cream at 3d ... 10 0 J. Brown supplies milk with 11 per cent, of cream at 2jd ... !' 2 P. Robinson supplies -lOgals. milk with 10 per cent, of cream at 21d ... 8 4 It. Jackson supplies 40 ; ;als. milk with !) per cent, of cream at 2|d ... 7 6 T. Taylor supplies -lOgals. milk with 8 per cent, of cream at 2d '» 8 B. James supplies -10p;als. milk with 7 percent, of cream at ... 5 10 Thus our readers will see that the man who paid most attention to his dairy stock would have.the just reward of his industry. _____________