A small herd of grade dairy cows in a McHenry county clover and blue grass pasture; cornfield in background.

Many who understand that milk varies in composition think that its food value is based entirely upon the amount of butter-fat which it contains. While it is true that the fat in milk is a very important factor, it is also true that skim milk containing little or no fat has yet a high food value. Skim milk has practically the same composition as whole milk, with the exception of the butter-fat which has been removed in the cream, and for supplying the body with albuminoids alone is worth exactly the same, quart for quart, as whole milk. Since the albuminoids are lacking in the diet of many people, especially those who do not eat meat freely, skim milk would be a valuable and economical adjunct to their food. For the purpose of furnishing the body with energy skim milk is worth one-half as much as whole milk containing four per cent butter-fat. The objection may be raised that skim milk is not palatable, and while this is true to a certain extent, yet milk containing a small amount of fat makes an excellent drink and can be freely used to advantage, especially in cooking. The following table shows the real food value of milk compared with beef.

TABLE 1. AMOUNT OF THE DIFFERENT INGREDIENTS AND FUEL VALUE IN 25 CENTS WORTH OF WHOLE MILK, SKIM MILK AND ROUND BEEF STEAK. (Estimated prices; whole milk containing 3 per cent fat, 5 cents a quart, skim milk 2.8 cents a quart; round steak 1212 cents a pound.)

From the above table it is seen that equal values of whole milk and beef steak contain practically the some amount of portein, and that skim milk contains nearly twice as much, while the energy value of 25 cents worth of either whole or skim milk is nearly twice that of beef steak. In other words the energy value of 132 cents worth of milk is equal to 25 cents worth of round beef steak. Yet people invariably consider milk as something of a Juxury and think they are economizing by restricting its use as much as possible, although they buy meat freely considering it one of the necessities of life. They fail entirely to realize that the elements needed to nourish the body may be obtained from milk more cheaply than from meat, and that milk takes the place of other foods, thus diminishing the quantity of other nutrients needed. It is for this reason the quantity of milk consumed in this country is not so great as economy would warrant, considering its food value.

NEED OF STANDARDS IN THE SALE OF MILK.

In the aggregate an enormous amount of milk is consumed for it is used daily by nearly all classes of people regardless of their station in life; and, since it forms an economical factor in their sustenance, a correct basis of sale is important.

Taking, as a basis of comparison, milk containing 3 per cent fat and 9 per cent solids not fat, the required standard for milk sold in Chicago, as worth 5 cents a quart, sample No. 14, is worth 2.8 cents, and sample No. 38 is worth 8.4 cents, therefore one quart of No. 38 is worth three quarts of No. 14 on the basis of total energy value. Again, on the same basis, the average value of Nos. 1, 14 and 63, is 3.2 cents, while the average value of Nos. 38, 55 and 76 is 7.9 cents, therefore the better samples are worth 212 times as much as the poorer, yet this milk all sold for the same price, 5 cents a quart.

Selling milk by measure alone is unjust to the producer as well as to the consumer. It would be as reasonable to expeet to purchase three pounds of round steak for the price of one as to buy milk of the composition of No. 38

and No. 14 at the same price a quart. While the fallacy of this system is apparent to a few, the majority of people seem to think that milk is milk and that one quart is worth as much as another, so long as it is still sweet. The reason for this is partly a lack of knowledge as to what constitutes good milk and partly because milk is an opaque liquid and it is difficult to judge of its composition or food value simply by appearance. For this reason many unscrupulous milk dealers dilute their milk with water or remove a portion of the cream.

State legislatures and city councils have attempted to overcome this difficulty by passing laws and ordinances making it unlawful to change the composition of milk. Where these laws were enforced they stopped the dilution of milk to a great extent, but did not tend to compel milk dealers to sell milk of any known composition or on the basis of its food value.

The next attempt to remedy the difficulty was to have a certain standard below which it was unlawful to sell milk. Most of the states and some cities passed laws to this effect. These standards seldom require more than 3 per cent fat and 12 per cent total solids. The city or state standards, even where they exist, have not reached the difficulty as it makes the sale of milk coming direct from some individual cows, that give milk low in fat, unlawful while it is good wholesome milk and a perfectly legitimate product when sold at its proper price. But what is even worse, this system prevents the man who produces rich milk from getting the price he should according to its food value and cost of production. Milk containing a high per cent of fat is not only worth more for food but it costs more to produce than milk containining a low per cent of fat and the price should be governed by its composition and food value and not by its bulk.

Before there was a ready means of determining the composition of milk these difficulties could not well be overcome and providing city standards of composition was about all that could be done at that time, but since the invention of the Babcock test, by Dr. Babcock of the Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment Station, the conditions are changed, for by the Babcock test and lactometer, and at but slight trouble or expense it is now a simple matter to determine accurately the amount of fat and solids not fat in any milk.

STANDARDIZING MILK AND CREAM.

Since fat in milk is the most variable constituent, the other solids remaining fairly constant, standardizing milk is a comparatively simple matter. All that is necessary is to add or remove a certain amount of butter fat, which is easily done by means of the centrifugal separator or by letting the cream rise by gravity. While it is true that milk from individual cows varies somewhat from day to day, the mixed milk of a herd that is mixed at regular times each day will be practically constant for that herd, because all of the cows will not test high or low on the same day. By testing the milk of a herd occasionally the per cent of fat in the milk may be known at all times with reasonable accuracy, together with the amount of skim milk that should be added or removed to bring it to the proper standard. If the separator does good work and the amount of milk handled is small so that it does not warrant testing every day it may be run very close to the desired per cent of fat by testing once a week so as to be sure that it is up to the required standard. Where the quantity of milk handled is large it is more economical to run tests frequently and keep the fat at exactly the desired per cent. Even if the per cent of fat varies but slightly it makes a great difference in profit in the course of the year in a large business. If 1,000 gallons of milk are sold daily at the price given in Table 5 and the per cent of fat in the milk is 4.5 when only 4 per cent milk is required, the loss to the one selling the milk would be 112 cents a gallon or $15 a day; this in a year would amount to $5,475.

The only apparatus necessary to standardize milk is a cream separator and a Babcock milk test. Surely no dairyman who has a business of any consequence can afford to be without these machines. For dairymen handling but a small amount of milk the same results may be accomplished by setting the milk for a time and skimming off the cream. In this case all that is necessary

is a Babcock test, which may be obtained from any milk supply house for $4. In this work skim milk containing practically no fat must be added or removed. If the skim milk used contains fat, proper allowance must be made according to the amount of fat contained or the results will obviously be different. Water cannot be used to dilute the milk or the per cent of solids not fat will be reduced.

As the per cent of casein, milk sugar and mineral matter are practically the same in milk containing different amounts of butter fat these are not considered in the following table. From this table it will be seen that a law compelling a man to standardize the milk and cream he sells would result in justice to both producer and consumer. Ali dairymen would then receive the legitimate price for their product according to its food value and cost of production and would not be selling 6 per cent milk in competition with 3 per cent milk and for the same price per quart.

TABLE 5-RELATIVE VALUE PER QUART AND NUMBER OF QUARTS IN A DOLLAR'S WORTH OF MILK OF THE FOLLOWING COMPOSITION AS TO FAT, COмPUTED ACCORDING TO THE FOOD VALUE OF 3 PER CENT. MILK AT 5 CENTS A QUART.

The objection may be raised that this system would be more difficult to control and would require more inspection than a legal standard, but upon careful consideration it will be seen to be no more complicated. Every milkman should be compelled to have brass figures soldered on the outside of his can, if delivering milk in bulk, showing the per cent of fat contained in the milk in that can. This system would prevent the man who was selling milk low in fat from evading the law by simply putting a "skim tag" on his can when the inspector appeared. In selling bottled milk the per cent of fat in the milk should either be blown into the bottle or stamped upon the pulp cap. This system would be of great advantage to the consumer as he would know the richness of the milk he was purchasing and not be paying for 6 per cent milk when he was receiving only 3 per cent. It would also allow him to obtain milk of whatever richness he desired and could afford. If this system were in practice it would not compel the shipper who produces the milk to standardize it but he would sell it by test to the city dealer or milk depot where it would be standardized. The shipper again would not be pooling his milk but would receive a price according to its food value and the cost of production.

DAIRYING.

[Bv Mrs. Chas. Beede of Chadwick.!

In making the effort to write something on the subject of dairying, the thought came that in all probability my hearers knew more about this extensive subject than I do, so perhaps to avoid difficulties it may be well to give some of our own little experiences in this line of farm work, hoping all personality will be pardoned. I should like very much to tell you that we

run a dairy like those model dairies of Holland, accounts of which have been so entertaining in the Breeders' Gazette; dairy barns fine enough to dwell in, whitewashed walls adorned with fancy shelves full of polished tinware, white sanded floors, cows well groomed and contented fed on sweet succulent grass, and over all an all-pervading spirit of cleanliness. But I can not say so much-the only semblance that can be traced is the amount of work it takes to run a dairy. We do not make a specialty of dairying on our farm, but like many other farmers do general farming. We try to get everything possible from the farm without impoverishing the soil. We raise grain and hay mostly, to be fed to the cattle, horses, hogs and chickens, which are also raised on our farm. In raising cattle, our theory is that we ought to get something more than her calf to pay for the keep of a cow, so we milk the cow and make butter to sell, raising the calf on skimmed milk and grain. We raise the dual purpose cattle, those that are good milkers and good beef animals, those kind that furnish the subject for the learned discussions in our farm papers at the present time.

We began our dairy with a small herd of shorthorns, mostly grades, and some of them anything but gentle, Now our herd is mostly Red Polled grades. We find this breed very satisfactory for our purpose. They are by nature gentle. We seldom have to "break in" a heifer, as the saying goes. They want to be milked; they respond readily to good care and kindness, are good milkers and feeders. Ten years ago at State dairy meetings we heard it said very positively by professionals that there was no such thing as the dual purpose cow. A few weeks ago at the Freeport meeting of dairymen, we noticed in the charts giving Pan American statistics at Buffalo that the Red Polled cattle were given a place among the seven dairy breeds. We have used the Babcock test some in weeding out the poorer milkers, but not so much as we should. We aim to handle the cows gently; we object seriously to milkstool flourishes, accompanied with loud phrases. We ask of our help, kind treatment to all the dumb animals, and with very few exceptions they have given it. The man who clipped the cows' tails in fly time, making splendid clubs of them, did not stay very long at our place.

We have wasted very little time with hard milkers or kickers. If any such happened in our herd we sent them to the butcher as soon as possible. We take the calf from its dam as soon as convenient, because we have had trouble with young calves getting a sort of cholera if allowad to take all the milk they will drink. A good milch cow will give an abundance for two calves. We think it more profitable to have the larger share of cows fresh in the fall, although butter is better flavored if there are fresh cows now and then throughout the year. At present we are making butter from 26 cows, two of them strippers and nine young heifers. We have a yield of 2423 pounds of butter per day. besides the cream for the family. Surplus cows are fattened with the steers. We have used a separator for about eight months. Previous to this we used the Cooley submerged system. We like the separator better because we can separate the cream from the milk soon after milking and have the milk fresh and warm to feed the young animals. The separator is supposed to take nearly all the cream from the milk. The Cooley system practically does the same if milk is submerged in ice water, which with us was not always convenient to have. We use ice in summer to cool the cream. A one and one-half horse power gasoline engine runs the separator, churn, and pump when the wind does not blow.

All dairy work is done at the barn and a little dairy house near the windmill. We have improved our dairy appliances as we thought we could afford them. Our butter is sold on general market in Chicago. Dairying on our farm has its ups and downs. joys and sorrows. Among the joys the money, the objective point, comes first. Even if it seems small for the labor expended, the butter money is a fine thing to have. It is a steady income, something to pay every day family expenses. A merchant in one of our towns says that the farmers who milk cows have money to pay their store bills and they pay them, too; no mean compliment, we say.

Like all other work on the farm, there is pressing need of intelligence and ability to make use of it. There is ample room for the student of nature and science to give his powers of research full sway. There is pleasure in work