View report page

276
1909]
The Quality of Milk.—The quality of the milk sold in Islington has, as
usual, been good, whether it be judged by that of the samples purchased
on weekdays or on Sundays, or procured at the railway stations. Of course,
as usual, the farmers' milks gave the largest average percentage of fat, which
was 3.86, as compared with 3.67 per cent. in the case of both Sunday and
weekday milks. In the case of these two milks the average for the previous
11 years has been 3.64 and 3.62 per cent. respectively, so that their fats as compared
with farmers' milk, show a decrease of nearly 5 per cent.
The consumption of milk is without doubt increasing, as it is not only
more largely partaken of as a beverage in warm weather in the shape
of soda and milk, but also in substitution for stimulants at meals, and, therefore,
it is all the more necessary that its quality should be of the best.
According to Professor J. P. Sheldon, the people of this country consume
on an average 15 gallons per head per annum, those of Denmark, 40 gallons,
Saxony, 46 gallons; United States, 25 gallons; and in London the Medical
Officer of Health computes it to be 10½ gallons, for the annual consumption
there is about 50,000,000 gallons. It it curious to note that 50 years ago the
suburban and city dairies supplied London with all its milk, whereas now
it is practically obtained from all parts of the Kingdom.
When the non-fatty solids of the milk are examined it is found that the
largest percentage occurs among the milks sold on weekdays, when the percentage
was 8.85, as compared with 8.66 for Sunday milks and 8.74 for farmers'
milks. It would be unwise to draw any positive conclusions from these figures as
to sophistication, although a suggestion that the milk sold on weekdays has been
treated with separated milk might not be unfounded, otherwise how is it to be
understood that the percentage of these non-fatty solids in these milks is 8.85,
whereas in the farmers' milks it is only 8.74. These figures, as well as those contained
in Table CXXIX., which gives the analyses of the milks examined in
Islington during the last twelve years, once more show that the average of the
fatty content of the milks is much above the official standard of 3 per cent.
laid down by the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries.
A great deal has been said from time to time by people interested in the
purveying of milk and by some dairy farmers that the official standard is too
high, and they also allege that not only do individual cows, but at times a
whole herd, give a lesser percentage than the standard ; and in support of their
contention they seriously adduce as an example that the cows entered for
milk trials at the great dairy shows very often fall short of it. Lately the fact