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D A I R Y-F A R M I N G

than 1175 per cent., and in which, during the months of July to February inclusive, the amount of milk-fat is less than 3 per cent., and in the case of any milk which during the months or March to June inclusive shall fall below the above-named limit for total solids, and at the same time shall contain less than 275 per cent, of fat, it shall be deemed that such milk is so deficient in its normal constituent of fat as to raise a presumption, for the purposes of the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts, 1875 to 1899, until the contrary is proved, that the milk is not genuine. (b) That any milk (other than skimmed, separated, or condensed milk) the total milk-solids in which are less than 1175 per cent and in which the amount of non-fatty solids is less than 8-5 per cent., shall be deemed to be so deficient in its normal constituents as to raise a presumption, for the purposes of the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts, 1875 to 1899, until the contrary is proved, that the milk is not genuine. In calculating the amount of [he deficiency the analyst shall take into account the extent to which the milk-fat exceeds the limits above named. _ (c) That any skimmed or separated milk in which the total milk-solids are less than 8-75 per cent, shall be deemed to be so deficient in its normal constituents as to raise a presumption, for the purpose of the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts, 1875 to 1899, until the contrary is proved, that the milk is not genuine. Much controversy arose out of the publication of these reports, the opinion most freely expressed being that the standard recommended in the majority report was too high. The difficulty of the problem is illustrated by, for example, the diverse legal standards for milk that prevail in the United States, where the prescribed percentage of fat in fresh cows’ milk ranges from 2-5 in Rhode Island to 3-5 in Georgia and Minnesota, and 3-7 (in the winter months) in Massachusetts, and the prescribed total solids range from 12 in several states (11’5 in Ohio during May and June) up to 13 in others. Standards are recognized in 21 of the states, but the remaining states have no laws prescribing standards for dairy products. That the public discussion of the reports of the committee was effective is shown by the following regulations which appeared in the London Gazette on 6th August 1901, and fixed the limit of fat at 3 per cent:— The Board of Agriculture, in exercise of the powers conferred on them by section 4 of the Sale of Food and Drugs Act, 1899, do hereby make the following regulations :— 1. Where a sample of milk (not being milk sold as skimmed, or separated, or condensed milk) contains less than 3 per cent, of milk-fat, it shall be presumed for the purposes of the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts, 1875 to 1899, until the contrary is proved, that the milk is not genuine, by reason of the abstraction therefrom of milk-fat, or the addition thereto of water. 2. Where a sample of milk (not being milk sold as skimmed, or separated, or condensed milk) contains less than 8’5 per cent, of milk-solids other than milk-fat, it shall be presumed for the purposes of the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts, 1875 to 1899, until the contrary is proved, that the milk is not genuine, by reason of the abstraction therefrom of milk-solids other than milk-fat, or the addition thereto of water. 3. Where a sample of skimmed or separated milk (not being condensed milk) contains less than 9 per cent, of milk-solids, it shall be presumed for the purposes of the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts, 1875 to 1899, until the contrary is proved, that the milk is not genuine, by reason of the abstraction therefrom of milk-solids other than milk-fat, or the addition thereto of water. 4. These regulations shall extend to Great Britain. 5. These regulations shall come into operation on 1st September 1901. 6. These regulations may be cited as the Sale of Milk Regulations, 1901.

[the milk trade.

of the United States Department of Agriculture on experimental exports of butter, in the appendix to which are recorded the results of the analyses of many samples of butter of varied origin. First, as to American butters, 19 samples were analysed in Wisconsin, 17 in Iowa, 5 in Minnesota, and 2 in Vermont, at the respective experiment stations of the states named. The amount of moisture throughout was low, and the quantity of fat correspondingly high. In no case was there more than 15 per cent, of water, and only 4 samples contained more than 14 per cent. On the other hand, 11 samples had less than 10 per cent., the lowest being a pasteurized butter from Ames, Iowa, with only 6'72 per cent, of water. The average amount of water in the total 43 samples was 11'24 per cent. The fat varies almost inversely as the water, small quantities of curd and ash having to be allowed for. The largest quantity of fat was 9D23 per cent, in the sample containing only 6‘72 per cent, of water. The lowest proportion of fat was 80-18 per cent., whilst the average of all the samples shows 85'9 per cent., which is regarded as a good market standard. The curd varied from 0-55 to D7 per cent., with an average of 0-98. This small amount indicates superior keeping qualities. Theoretically there should be no curd present, but this degree of perfection is never attained in practice. It was desired to have the butter contain about 2-| per cent, of salt, but the quantity of ash in the 43 samples ranged from 0-83 to 4-79 per cent., the average being 1-88. Analyses made at Washington of butters other than American showed a general average of 13-22 per cent, of water over 28 samples representing 14 countries. The lowest were 10-25 per cent, in a Canadian butter and 10-38 in an Australian sample. The highest was 19-1 per cent, in an Irish butter, which also contained the remarkably large quantity of 8'28 per cent, of salt. Three samples of Danish butter contained 12 "65, 14-27, and 15-14 per cent, respectively of water. French and Italian unsalted butter included, the former 15-46 and the latter 14-41 per cent, of water, and yet appeared to be unusually dry. In 7 samples of Irish butters the percentages of water ranged from 11 "48 to 19T. Of the 28 foreign butters 15 were found to contain preservatives. All 5 samples from Australia, the 2 from France, the single ones from Italy, New Zealand, Argentina, and England, and 4 out of the 7 from Ireland, contained boric acid. The Milk Trade.

The term “ milk trade ” has come to signify the great traffic in country milk for the supply of dwellers in urban districts. Prior to 1860 this traffic was comparatively small, or in its infancy. Thirty years earlier it could not have been brought into existence, for it is an outcome of the great network of railways which was spread over the face of the country in the latter half of the 19th century. It affords an instructive illustration of the process of commercial evolution which has been fostered by the vast increase of urban population within the period indicated. It is a tribute to the spirit of sanitary reform which—as an In July 1901 another departmental committee was example in one special direction—has brought about the appointed by the Board of Agriculture to inquire and disestablishment of urban cow sheds and the consequent report as to what regulations, if any, may with advantage demand for milk produced in the shires. London, in fact, be made under section 4 of the Sale of Food and Drugs is now being regularly supplied with fresh milk from places Act, 1899, for determining what deficiency in any of the anywhere within 150 miles, and the milk traffic on the normal constituents of butter, or what addition of extrane- railways, not only to London but to other great centres, ous matter, or proportion of water in any sample of butter is an important item. A factor in the development of the shall, for the purpose of the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts, milk trade must no doubt be sought in the outbreak of raise’ a presumption, until the contrary is proved, that cattle plague in 1865, for it was then that the dairymen the butter is not genuine. As bearing upon this, point of the metropolis were compelled to seek milk all over reference may be made to a report of the Dairy Division England, and the capillary refrigerator being invented