BULLETIN No. 121.NOEBR192 NOVEMBER, 1902. ALABA MA. Agricultural Ixperiment Station OF THlE Agricultural and Mechanical College, AUB URN. DAIRY HERD RECORD AND CREAMERY NOTES. By R. W. CLARK. MONTGOMERY, ALA.. riR BROWN PRINTING CO., PRINTERS AND 1902.* BJNI)ERS. Tiios. C. COMMITTEE OF TRUSTEES ON EXPERIMENT STATION. WILLIAMS..............................................Wetumpka. JONATHAN HARALSON.................................Selma. STATION COUNCIL C. THACH................................................President. B. B. Ross. ...... ......................... ........................ Chemist. C. A. CARY, D. V. M.. Veterinarian. Agriculturist. Biologist and Horticulturist. Associate Chemist. J. F. DUOGAR...... .................................... E. M. WILCOX ............................ J. T. ANDERSON .................................. ASSISTANTS. C. L. HARE.................................. First Assistant Chemist. T. BRAGG.................................... J. C. PHELPS.............................. T. U. CULVER............... ................. R. W. CLARK................................. Second Assistant Chemist. Third Assistant Chemist. Superintendent of Farm. Assistant Agriculturist. The Bulletins of this Station will be sent free to any citizen of the State on application to the Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn, Alabama. DAIRY HERD RECORD AND CREAMERY NOTES BY R. W. CLARK. Can dairying be made profitable in Alabama is a cuestion often asked. Short, mild winters, long pasture seasons, and a great variety of soiling crops, along with the output of the oil and rice mills, afford a 1arge field from which toselect food stuffs. The State is b-idly in need of such profits as accrue froim dairying and live stock in general. The appearance of out rural communities, the ilnpoverislhed condition of our the tremendous growth of the commercial fertilizer trade, and the vast aniou n t of money (the pr'oceeds of our only money crop, cotton) spent every year for hays, grains, meat and dairy products, are convincing arguments against the exclusive growing of corn and'cotton and a strong one in growing soils, favor of diversi fled farming. Dati vi ng builds ti) the soil.. of the fertilizing returned in the From 75 to 90 per cent. constituents of the food consumed is manure. Dairying makes the farmer indlelpendent by giving him, daily, a salable product. Food consumed one day is turned into cash the next, and much of the risk incident to making a crop of corn or cotton is avoided. No line of farming in the South is so certain of returns as dairying when intelligently pursued. The long growling season makes the dairyman quite independent of drought, a great menace at times in, some sections, especially where the summers are short. Our climate is most salubrious. Many of the cattle diseases common in other sections, caused by close 184 housing are almost unknown. Cattle can be turned out every day so far as temperature is concerned, but they should be housed at night during the winter. The demand in the South for good dairy products is always strong and especially so at the present time it is likely to continue so for many years. Cheese sells for 12 to 20 cents per pound, butter 20 to 35 cents per pound, and whole. milk for '20 to 40 cents per gallon reretail. In calculating the cost of food for each animal in the station herd the value of home-grown stuff was estimated. Bought stuff is figured at its market price. and Price per ton for the year .1900-01. Hay .... ... ... . ... .. .. . ... .. .. .. .. . . . . $10 00 Ensilage ................. ............ 2 00 Oat straw............ ................ 5 00 Cotton seed hulls. ................... 4 00 2 00 Soiling crops (fed green)............. Wheat bran .. .... .... ............ 20 00 .9 00 Cotton seed........ ........ ..... . .. ... Cotton seed meal.20 00 Rice polish............................... Skim milk ......................... 25c per cwt. Price per ton for the year 1901-02. $10 00 2 00 5 00 6 00 2 00 25 00 12 (0O 22(0 20 00 30c per cwt. The value placed on oat straw in the above table is too low. Pasturage is estimated at fifty cents per month for cows and grown animals and thirty cents per month for young animals. 1 185 The following record shows what the station herd did for the two years ending September 1, 1902: SEPTEMBER 1, 1900, TO SEPTEMBER 1, 1901. ."- ca 0 0 NAME OF Cow. 0'5 bQH I i O rd rd O CL4 .v 0 ca Ada ... Annie Jersey. . .... Jersey.. Ida ....... Houron Susan ... .... Jersey.. 6 .Jersey .. j2 Jersey.. 110- Yr Mo 7 2 I P Cents In C0nt Queen Hypatia .... ... Holstein Jersey.. Average ........... I......782 767 810 4,665.7 3,095.6 2614 5,065.8 9- ±I1003 4,676.3 5- 1 4,218.6 4,136.4 1 828 168S.4$2.9 804 3,740.4 205.41,21.'09 yin' "nn nip nn " 61 1lo4 232.71 216.5 331.7 215.3 246.0 230.81 14.4 10.2 24.90 10.7 20.69( 9.5 24.28 28.15 13.01 23.561 9.5 $23.851 10.6 I G 5.7 $17.85 4.6 30.39 4.4 33.27 5.3 33.55 3..8 4.9 58.71 25.83 '1.3 4.6 38.13 4.71.. Average per cent. of fat, 4.7. SEPTEMBER 1, 1901, TO SEPTEMBER 1, 1902. Ada ...... Jersey.. 7-10 80514,581.3 234.7 Annie ... Jersey.. 11 880 4,806.6 264.8 Ida....... Jersey.. 7- 1 847 3,519.9 193.5 Houron ... Jersey.. 3 786 2,271.2 159.11 Susan .... Jersey.. 3- 8 676 4,316.0 297.9 Hypatia .. Jersey.. 6 814 4,290.9 225.0 Hazena ... Jersey.. 2 662 3,321.5 217.7 Lukie .... Jersey.. 3- 2 6921 4,586.51286.0 Clementina. (Red Proil( 2-11(1131 2,262.2 (113.1 $30.97( 13.2 30.21 11.4 22.74 11.7 15.43 9.6 26.31 24.931 22.49 24. 15 20.90 8.8 11.0 5124.50 4.9 4.7 5.5 $27.69 5.1 35.99 5.31'25.73 48.25 31.50 Average ........ (...(810.3 3,772.9j221.3($24.30( 10.3 8.6 18.4 11.415.4. 5.5 32.00 4.9 47.01 7..5 7.46 Average per cent. of fat, 5.00. The greater profit for the year 1900 and 1901 is due ing to lower prices of foodstuffs, more copious feeding of ensilage during the winter and better summer pasture. The amount of grain in the ration usually depended upon the character of the grain, the character of fodder and the condition of the animals. AUl things bethe same, a well developed cow several months along in lactation received less grain per 1000 pounds live a the 186 !eight than a cow not so well developed and not-so far along in lactation. With cow pea hay and ensilage thp grain part of the ration rarely exceeded 6 and 7 lbs. per day, and often dropped to 2 and 3 lbs. per day. Indiscriminate feeding of grain and poor cows are usually the cause of losses and of small profits to the dairyman. Liberal, judicious feeding and kind treatment go hand in'hand. Ada, although possessing good dairy type, carries considerable flesh, and during the year 1900 and 1901 gave a small profit, it being an off year with her. Clementina is the poorest cow. She is of the beef type and is well covered with heavy flesh. The food cost of Houron for the year 1901 and 1902 is light. She milked heavily when fresh, but began to dry off early and then cow pea hay was partially substituted for grain. Her cost of keep ($15.43) for the year 1901 and 1902 is low because she calved in the summer, did her best on grass and was far along in lactation by winter. This allowed light feeding of grain during the wintcr (2 lbs. per day), cow pea hay, sorgum hay and oat straw forming the greater part of her ration. The advisability of so light a grain ration is questioned. A long pasture season means cheap production. Young cattle are usually turned to pasture the latter part of March and are not taken up until about the middle of December. Cows are turned to pasture the middle of April, and then receive grain only while in milk. They are soiled in late fall but depend more or less on pasture until the first of December. On the whole the yearly productions are smaller than they ought to be. A cow should give from 5000 to 7000 lbs. of milk per year and make not less than 300 lbs. of butter. 187 COST OF RAISING HEIFER CALVES. Hazen a, a registered Jersey was dropped October 22, 18-9, and 56 lbs. The year she consumed lbs. whole milk, 2738 lbs. of skim milk, 66 lbs. bran, 224 lbs. of hay and was on pasture 161 clays. When one year old she had cost $12.86 and weighed lou ndS. The second year she received sorghum l y, ensilage, oat straw, cornStover and a little cotton seed and bran, and was on pasture 224 days. The cost of keep the second year was $9.09 and she weighed 665 lbs. She dropped her first calf when lacking sevenlays of eing two years to the time of calving was old. T1'otal cost of keep $21.95. Ella, a, registered Jersey, was dropped August 12, 1900, and weighed 50 lbs. The first year she consumed 259.5 poundsof whole milk, 1195 pounds skim milk, 180 pounds bran, 63 pounds of corn mel, 405 pounds hay and was on pasture t1 days. She cost, including when pasture, during her first year, $11.65, and 12 months old 340 pounds. 159 weighed first 4'5 up weighed The second year, asidle from pastuire,. she received cotton seed, cornstover, oat straw and ensilage. She dropped her first calf when 22 months old. The cost of keep the second year up to time of calving was $7 .61, making a total cost of $19.26. dropped July 23, 1900, Peggy, another Jersey, and weighed 36 pounds. The first year she consumed was 287.5 poundcs wlhole milk, 1097 pounds skim milk, 191 .6 Lds hay pounds bran, 6 7.8 pounds corn meal, 399 poun and was on pasture 91 days. She cost $1 1.49 and weighed 350 pounds when one year old. The second year she received the same kind of feed as Ella. She dropped her first calf when just two year old. The cost 188 of keep the second year was $7.99, and the total cost of keep was $19.48. Jenny, a registered Jersey, was dropped November 24, 1900, and weighed 38 pounds. The first year she consumed 52 pounds whole milk, 1740 pounds skim milk, 45.5 pounds bran, 175 pounds hay and was on pasture 217 days. She cost $9.60 and weighed 295 pounds at one year old. The second ydar she received the same kind of food as Ella and Peggy. By reason of an accidental service she dropped her first calf June 24, 1902, at nineteen months of age, and then weighed 445 pounds. The cost of keep for the second year was $7.61, and the total cost of keep for nineteen months was $17.21. Alamarzena, another registered Jersey, was dropped April 16, 1901, and weighed 50 pounds. She received the same kind of food as the others mentioned above. When one year old she weighed 350 pounds and cost $13.66. Mabel, Hazena's first calf, was dropped October 15, 1901, and weighed 43 pounds. She consumed 92 pounds whole milk, 1191.2 pounds skim milk, 322.7 pounds hay, 204.2 pounds bran, and was on pasture 165 days. The total cost of keep at one year old was $11.40. Sumnmary of Cost of Raising Heifer Calves. Total Cost of Cost of cost of keep the keep the keep to time of first year. second year. calving. $9 09 $21 95 $12 86 Hazena ........................... 17 21 7 61 [ 9 60 .................. Jenny .......... 7 99 19 48 11 49 Peggy ............................. 19 26 7 61 ....................... I 11 65 Ella ...... 13 66 ..................... ........ .... Alam arzena ........... .......... ........ 11 40 M able .......... ................... NAME. Average ......................... I $11 77 $8 07 $19 47 189 Ella, Peggy and Jenny are undersize and would not have been bred so early as they were had not a neighbor's bull, in an enjoining pasture, broken into the Station herd. They are very small, due mainly to early breeding and to a small consumption of skim milk when very young calves. There can be no set age at which young dairy heifers should be bred. If they are well developed, strong and thrifty they should drop their first calf when 24 to 30 months old. Heifers should be kept growing from the time they are born until they reach maturity. A shortage of a few dollars worth of feed on the calf will mean a loss of many dollars at the pail when the calf becomes a cow. If material advancement is to be made in animal breeding the pregnant mother must be well fed. The foetus should be well nourished from the time the dam conceives until it is dropped and has reached the goal to which it is destined. REMOVING BITTER WEED TASTE FROM CREAM. During the last three years considerable effort has been made to find a means by which the odor and taste of wild onion and bitter weed may be removed from milk and cream. In the spring of 1901 the writer was requested to try a patent compound claimed to remove all kinds of weedy taste from milk. It was fed to the Station herd according to the directions of the manufacturer for four weeks, in which time it proved to be an absolute failure. Cooking soda (saleratus) was also given a like trial but failed of the purpose claimed for it by some people. Having failed so far to find anything that when 190 fed to the cows would remove weedy taste in the milk, the next step was treating the milk and cream. The following are creamery notes taken in the carrying out of this work Treatment of cream before run- Notes on treated cream after coming from the separator; the ning tEirough the separator. untreated cream being very bitter One gallon of cream was thoroughly mixed with 2 gallons of ° water, at a temperature of 150 Bitterness removed, but flavor F., in which one ounce of salt- of cream not good, rather soapy. peter had been thoroughly dissolved. Not a trace of bitterness in the Same as above, but no saltpeter washed cream. used. One gallon of cream was thoroughly mixed with 2 gallons of Not a trace of bitterness in the water at a temperature of 1600 F. cream, and of a fine flavor. One gallon of cream was thoroughly mixed with 2 gallons of Bitterness removed, but cream water at a temperature of 1600 F., not very good. and containing 1 oz. of saltpeter. One gallon of cream was thoroughly mixed with 2 gallons of water at a temperature of 1600 F. One gallon of cream was thoroughly mixed with 2 gallons of ° water at a temperature of 74 F. Bitterness removed. Bitterness removed. One gallon of cream was thor- Excellent cream, not a trace of oughly mixed with 2 gallons of bitterness. ° water at a temperature of 74 F. One gallon of cream was thor- A slight trace of bitterness in oughly mixed with 2 gallons of the cream, but this would not ordi1 ° water at a temperature of 68 F. narily be detected. One gallon of cream was thoroughly mixed with 2 gallons of Slight trace of bitterness in the cream. water at a temperature of 69° F. 191 Bitter weed taste was removed entirely from cream by thoroughly mixing it with two or more parts of water at any temperature above 70 deg. Fahrenheit, and then running the whole through the separator. Saltpeter dissolved in water was tried as in removing the bitterness, but as good results were secured without it as with it. Rapidly and slowly heating milk and cream to various high temperatures. did not remove bitterness but often imparted a cooked taste. Butter made from washed an'aid cream (as above) was pronounced free of all bitterness by the Station customers. Butter made from unwashed cream was decidedly bad and was often rejected by the customers. No means were taste from whole milk found to remove the bitter In the spring of 1902 milk and creame were treated for the wild onion01 flavor the same as in the previous year for the bitter weed taste. weed 192 The following are the creamery notes taken in the course of this work Treatment of cream before run- Notes on the treated cream ning it through the separator. after coming from the separator. One gallon of cream was thoroughly mixed with three gallons Flavor not removed; cream still of water at a temperature of 900 bad. F. One gallon of cream was mixed with two gallons of water, at a Flavor bad, and made more so temperature of 900 F., in which by the use of saltpeter. was dissolved one ounce of saltpeter. Same as preceding treatment. Same as preceding treatment, except temperature of water 1000 F. Same as preceding treatment. One gallon of cream was mixed with two gallons of water at a temperature of 2120 F., in which was dissolved one ounce of saltpeter. Same, as preceding treatment. Flavor still bad. Flavor still bad. Flavor bad. Flavor still bad. Flavor very bad, and butter from this cream was rejected by the station customers. Same result as above. Same as preceding treatment. One gallon of cream was mixed with two gallons of water, at a temperature of 950 F. Cream bad. 193 The odor and taste of wild olnion was not removed from the milk and cream by any method of treatment employed. Cream was washed as above with and without saltpeter, and at different temperatures, but the onion taste and flavor were not removed. Butter made from the treated cream was rejected by the Station customers, Rapidly and slowly heating milk and cream to various high temperatures did not remove the objectionable qualities imparted by the onion. Cream was thoroughly mixed with ether and carbon bisulphide and these were then evaporated. The onion flavor was partly removed in both cases, but the cream retained enough of the ether and carbon bisulphide to render it unfit for use. The compound in the bitter weed which gives milk a bitter taste is held very largely, if not entirely, in the milk serum. The more completely the serum is separated from the fat the less is the degree of bitterness in the cream. The compound in the wild onion which gives milk a bad flavor is held very largely, if not entirely, by the fat, and the more completely the serum is separated from the fat the more concentrated is the onion flavor in the cream. Washing cream makes it thick and necessitates adding considerable skim milk, which may be a starter, to bring it to a proper consistency before churning. If a large amount of starter is used to thin with, a shorter length of time is required for ripening, therefore the cream should be watched closely until the proper degree of ripeness is reached. The term'starter as used above means sour milk that is used to sour the cream. Cream containing bad flavors but not sour enough to be clabbered, can often be improved by washing. The thicker the cream the less likely is it to sour and clabber 194 DIFFERENT SYSTEMS OF CREAMING. The question is often asked, does it pay to run a separator for small amount of milk. The following table gives the average per cent of fat left in the skim milk by the different systems of cream inrg, but at different temperatures. As the use of ice, on tlhe average farm in Alabama, is generally out of the question, it was not used, but conditions were taken as they exist on the average farm, and the results secured are believed to be fairly representative of practical conditions. This work was when the weather was hot, except that one of the deep setting tests was made in April. a cream done in August SEPARATOR VERSUS DEEP SETTING VERSUS SHALLOW PANS. Temperature, Degrees F. 'Per Average. .03 .54 1.30 cent. of fat in System. Separator .......... :.81.0 Deep setting.............. Deep setting...............83.6 Shallow pans .................. 50.0 .85.7 skim milk. Min. Max., .01 .20 .30 1.10 .80 1.80 .60 .35 1.00 There is a heavy loss in- creaming milk by the gravity system. During hot weather the loss may be one-fourth to one-third of the total butter fat. Shallow pans give better results than deep cans. With the separator the loss of fat in the skim milk was very slight, hardly worth consider~ing, where facilities for handling cream and butter can be had, and where the skim milk is practically wasted, it will pay,, according: to thee data in the above table, to have a separator for ,even. as small a num~ ber as two good cows. These cows together ought to produce 12,000, pounds of milk per year. One-eighth two of. the whole milk being' cream, there will be 10,500 195 pounds of skim milk. As the separator leaves only .03 of one per cent. of fat in the skim milk, there will be a loss during the year of 3.1 pounds of butter fat, the equivalent of 3.6 pounds of lutter. With deep set ti ng, at a temperature of 83.6 degrees Fahrenheit close approximation to our summer temperature), there will be a loss of 159 l ounds of butter the skim milk, between one-third and one-fourth of the total. shallow pan setting at temperature degrees Fahrenheit, the loss ;will be 73.5 pounds of butter in the skim milk. Along with the saving of butter fat a sepagives better cream, a better butter and better ski in milk. The cream separator is indispensable to the dairyman of the'Gulf States of the South. (a in a of 85.7 With rator THE E-EFFECT OF FOOD ON THE MELTING POINT ATILE ACIDS OF BUTTER. AND VOL- In the year 1901 feeding experiments were carried on to ascertain the effect of different amounts of cotton seed, -cotton seed. meal and cotton seed hulls, in combination with -bran and sorghum hay, on the comlposition of btitter, and for this purpose six cows were divided into two lots of three each. They were fed in the barn' all that they would eat up clean twice, a dray, and were confined to stalls during the night. for four weeks. One week of preparatory which feeding preceded the experiment proper, 'lasted 196 FOOD AND AVERAGE COMPOSITION OF BUTTER FROM EACH KIND OF FOOD. Group. Ration. 9 pounds cotton seed I II 3 pounds bran 10 pounds sorgum hay 51/4 pounds cotton seed meal 41.1 40.7 13.2 13.47 3 pounds bran 10 pounds cotton seed hulls There is practically no difference in the melting point and volatile acids of the butter made from the above rations. Analysis of a sample of Northern butter, made at the same time, in which no cotton seed products were fed, gave a melting point of 24.5 degrees (centigrade), and required 13.5 c. c. of alkali to neutralize the volatile acids in 2.5 grams of fat. During April and May nine cows were divided into four lots of two cows each and one lot of one cow. They were fed grain night and morning and confined to the barn only while eating their grain and being milked. Pasture was the only forage received and consequently all received of it alike. The feeding period proper lasted three weeks. 197 FOOD AND AVERAGE COMPOSITION OF BUTTER FROM EACH KIND OF FOOD. Group. Ration. - 3 pounds cotton seed 1 pound bran I 3 pounds couon seed meal II 1 pound bran 5 pounds cotton seed meal III I 1 pound bran 8 pounds cotton seed meal IV 1 pound bran V 4 pounds bran I 41.76 41.92 39.6 40.84 38.6 10.6 ' 9.6 10.37 f 10.1 9.65 Feeding cotton seed and cotton seed meal to cows on pasture, had a slight effect in hardening the butter, increasing the melting point from 1 to 3 degrees centigrade. Three pounds of cotton seed meal and one pound of bran gave as hard a butter as eight pounds of cotton seed meal and one pound of bran. The volatile acids in the butter were not materially affected by the different rations. MILK PRESERVATIVES. A study of milk preservatives for composite testing, was made in order to ascertain the one best suited to our conditions. Potassium bichromate., mercuric chloride and formalin were used. Each cow's milk was sampled as soon as drawn, and the sample taken was put into a 198 glass jar. At the end of the week these composite samples of milk were tested for butter fat and notes taken, which are herewith 0 presented. c 0 x 41 Remarks. W 0c 20 3.08 3.82 .. .. 4.62 5.35 .. ... . .. . 3.85 4.62 6.16 ...+ 7.7 .. . . . .. .. ... . . .... .Winter... Test very good. ... . 3.08 3.82 4.62 5.35 .. . ... .. . . . . . ... ........ 3.85 4.62 6.16 ...... 7.7 11/2%mixture Winter... Test fairly good. W inter ... Test fairly good. .. ....... Winter ... Test very poor. . . Test not satisfactory .... .Winter. ....... Winter.. . Test not satisfactory ....... Winter...ITest not satisfactory ....... ISummer.. Test not Satisfactory ......... Summer .. _Test not satisfactory .. Summer. Test not satisfactory ....... Summer.. Test not satisfactory ....... Summer.. Test not satisfactory Summer.. ........ not satisfactory ........ Summer.. Test not satisfactory ....... Summer.. Test not satisfactory lSummer.. Very satisfactory test, clear, no sediment below fat line. Test Three to four grains of potassium biebromate in a pint of milk served fairly well as a preservative, this material being best in the winter but requiring too frequent duplication of test in the ,summer when the weather is hot. It causes a more or less leathery condition of the cream which is difficult to re-emulsify, and in hot weather the milk often undergoes a fermentation which causes a loss of butter fat. The milk should not be over one week old before being tested. Mercuric chloride proved unsatisfactory in nearly -199 every test with composite samples. ashy. The tests were very One-half per. cent. formalin (40 per cent. formaldehyde) proved the most satisfactory of the three preservatives tried and is now being used entirely at the Station. Half a teaspoonful of formalin to one pint of milk akes one-half per cent. mixture. Potassium bichl'omate, mercuric chloride and formaline are poisonous when taken internally and should be handlled with care. One-half teaspoonful of formalin wil] keep a pint of milk in good condition for testing for one month in any season. a CHURNING EXPERIMENTS. During the winter of 1900 and 1901 experiments were carried on to ascertain the degree to which cream should ripen before being churned. It has usually been assumed that a fairly high per cent. of acid and a high temperature are necessary in churning the cream of milk from cows receiving cotton seed or cotton seed meal. Mloderate acidity and high temperate'-e comtpared with low acidity and low teamperature. a 410 4-4 - a . 4 -m a 14 18 3 3702 ~. o .7 .~~ aa4a4 0 167 5 3. t0 18 6 314 .173. 200 In the 14 trials with an acidity of .37 per cent. and a temperature of 70 degrees Farenheit, the minimum and maximum per cent. of fat in the buttermilk was .1 and 2.5 per cent. respectively. In the ten trials with an acidity of .25 per cent. and a temperature of 63 deg. Fahrenheit, the minimum and maximum per cent. of fat in buttermilk was .05 and .5 per cent. respectively. The most exhaustive churning was made in 40 minutes at a temperature of 67 deg. Fahrenheit, with an acidity of .49 per cent. A ten gallon churn was used in this work. All of the cream was from cows receiving a heavy ration of uncooked cotton seed. The tests were made during the time when cows were on dry food. In connection with this work notes were taken on the churnability of cream containing high and low percentages of fat. Cream containing 50 per cent. fat or more stuck to the sides of the churn and usually had to be thinned with water before the churning was complete. The best churnings were made with cream containing 33 per cent. fat. Cream containing less than 25 or 30 per cent. fat did not churn well, it being too thin. The cream containing 50 or 60 per cent. fat had better keeping qualities than the cream containing 25 or 30 per cent. fat, because a large per cent. of the bacteria that cause trouble in the latter was eliminated in the skim milk. In ripening thick cream a large quantity of a weak starter should be used. This will give good consistency to the cream and consequently a better churning will be secured. Churning whole milk with dash and barrel churns. Ap nearly all of the butter made in Alabama is made from whole milk by the use of the dash churn a few trials of comparing the dash churn with the barrel churn were considered expedient. 201 DASH CHURN VS, BARREL CHURN. 12-GALLON BARREL CHURN. Temp. of milk Pounds of when churned, milk churned. Degrees Fah. 16.2 66 Fer Minutes churning. 55 cent. of fat in Buttermilk. .55 14. 12. 85 85 23 13 .42 1. 25. 27. Ave. 18.8 70 75 76.2 60 16 33.4 1. .5 .69 3-GALLON DASH CHURN. 11. 11. 8. 75 80 85 16 15 15 .5 .5 1. 11. 11. Ave. 10.4 85 66 78.2 j 40 10 1 37.4 .4 .55 .59 According to, the above reported trials, with their wide variations, the dash churn gives practically the same results as the barrel churn, and vise versa. In the tests reported above the milk, when churned, was in good condition, and was well clabbered. With the barrel churn the buttermilk can be drawn off from the bottom, and the butter washed better and more easily than with the dash churn. This is the only advantage that the author can see of the barrel churn over the dash churn for churning whole milk. The method of churning whole milk is practicable and advisable in the South during the summer months when the weather is hot and ice can not be had, and when all of the buttermilk is consumed by the family. Fairly good butter for local and immediate consumption can be made if the milk is cooled as much as possible when drawn, and sour milk (starter) of good quality added immediately. When the temperature can not be controlled to any extent the ripening (souring) should begin at once. 2, Modern lair if it vanta gesv "receives the iethods must be adopted by full. .benefit'ofits the.Soutfh natural dairy a- The average yearly prodction per cow in the Station herdt, for the two years endi ng September 1 1902, 3954.6 punds of milk andpounds of ter-. The average yearly cost of keep per cow was $24.07 the average cost of butter per pound 11 cents, and the average cost per gallon was 5.5 cents. 2. The average cost of raising a heifer calf the first year was $11.77, the second year $8.07 and the total cost to time of calving was $19.47. Bitter weed taste was from cream by mixing it with two or more parts of vater at any tern,perature above 70 deg. Fahrenheit and then running it through a cream separator. means were found by which bitter weed taste could be removed from milk. The compound the bitter weed which gives milk a bitter taste is held very largely, if not entirely, in the milk serum. The more completely the serum is separated from the fat the less is the degree of in the cream. .4 Wild onion flavor not removed from cream if. was 2 but- of milk was 3. removed No in bitterness was by mixing it with water and then running it through the cream separator. Saltpeter dissolved in the xvater thus used was of no value. No method was found largely, by which the onion flavor could be removed from either milk or cream. rfhe compound in the wild onion which gives milk a bad flavor is held very if not entirely, by the fat, and the more completely the serum is separated fron the 'fat the more concentrated is the onion flavor In the cream. 5. The average percentages of fat left in the skim mniilk by .the separator, deep cans and shallow pans were .03, 1.3 and 6 respectively. Shallow pans gave decidedly better results than deep cans. The separator is to the dairymen of the'South. 6. ration consisting of lb-s.cotton seed. Blbs. wheat bran and 10 lbs. sorghum hay gave a butter practically equal in firmness and volatile acids to a butter from. a ration consisting of .5-1 lbs. cotton seed meal, 3 lbs. wheat bran, and 10 lbs. of cotton seed hulls. Feeding cotton seed and cotton seed meal to cows pasture increasecl the ielting point of the butter 1 degrees centigrade. Three pounds of cotton seed meal and one of wheat bran gave as hard a butter as eight pounds of cotton seed meal and one pound of bran. The volatile acids in the butter were not materially affected by the different rations. 7. Potassium bichromate, mercuric chloride and formalia were tried as preservatives for composite sampling. One-half per cent. mixture of formalin (40 per cent. formaldehyde) gave the best results, teaspoonful of formalin will keep a pint of milk in :good .. pensable indis- A 19 to'3 on pound One-half condition for testing for one month. 8. In churning cream from cows receiving- cotton seed and cotton seed meal .25 of per cent, lactic acid in the cream, with a temperature of 63 deg. Fahrenheit, gave a more exhaustive churning than .37 of one per cent, of lactic acid with. a temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit. 9. In a churning experinent of five trials, the dash churn proved as satisfactory as the ,barrel churn for churning whole milk. I