MILK TESTING.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3098, 24 May 1892, Page 3

MILK TESTING.

TO THE EDITOR. SlB| —I notice in a recent issue of The Waikato Times that there ia still considerable dissatisfaction with regard to the milk testing. This I can quite understand, for, as you very truly say, the system has been quite as unsatisfactory to ub as to the suppliers. Since coming to England I have never once lost sight of the fact that the testing of the milk is the one most important question in the whole business of dairy produce, supply and manufacture. I have examined and enquired into, I think, every known system of testing milk for cream or butter fat, but there always seemed to be some objection to each one, and I almost began to despair of anything but chemical analysis being satisfactory. However, I am now in a position to say that all will be right next season, as I have found a machine that, so far as I can now see, will fill all our requirements, viz. : "Listers positive butter test." This is manufactured by Messrs R. A. Lister and Co., the inventor of the Alexandra separator, and will show the exact percentage of butter fat, which is the only true basis npon which to pay—as those will acknowledge who have made good butter returns from milk showing a low percentage of cream, and we have proved on the other hand that in many instances where the cream percentage was high we were not getting a corresponding quantity of butter. This machine is on much the same principle as Babcock's "Milk tester," which is almost universally used throughout America, and gives every satisfaction. These are quite new here, there being only some half dozen of these testers yet made by Lister and Co., so we shall be adopting the very latest and most perfect methods. I am getting two or three made at once, so that suppliers may have an opportunity of seeing them at work themselves, and testing their correctness before next season. I consider that the most necessary qualification of a milk tester, after correctness, is that it should be easily worked, and that each supplier should be able at any time to see the whole process of testing samples, so that there may never be even the slightest suspicion of a possibility of unfairness. I have been experimenting with milk supplied to the household which was apparently very rich and good, but to my surprise there was only 2 3-sth per cent, butter fat, or about 7 per cent, of cream. Upon my telling the dairyman the result of my investigations he appeared astounded but attributed it to the feed and bad weather, but in a day or so after when I again tested it for experiment, it showed 3 3-sth per cent, butter fat, or about 10 per cent, cream. I also found that the rich colour \v»s artificial. lam sorry to say that the butter market utterly collapsed towards the end of March, and though things looked very well at the beginning oflhe season we have, through the bulk of our shipments arriving late, Buffered heavy losses and whatever advance ia made next year will be upon prospective value, as we are certainly not warranted in doing so upon this year's returns. This points to the advisability of settlers arranging for their milk supply to commence as early as possible in the spring, so as to have the product here before the English winter 19 over. Trusting that the fact of so many of your readers being interested in the milk - question will be sufficient apology for taking up so much of your valuable space.—l am, etc., Henry Reynolds.