THE STORY OF MILK
CHAPTER I
Production, Composition and Characteristics of Milk, Milk Ferments, Pasteurization
DAIRY CATTLE
Holstein
A number of typical but widely different breeds of dairy cows have been developed in various dairy countries, each owing to the soil and the climatic conditions of its home, as well as to the skill and fancy of the breeders, its characteristic features, form, color, etc.
Herd of pure-bred Holstein cows on a farm in central New York
Milk-Breeds.—The black and white Holstein-Friesians (which, by the way, had their home in Holland and not in Holstein) are known for their large production of not very rich milk, while the Guernseys and Jerseys give milk exceedingly rich in butter-fat. A good Holstein cow will give from 7,000 to 10,000 lbs. of milk in a year, containing from 3¼% to 4% butter-fat. Some of them produce as much as 20,000 to 30,000 lbs. in a year—nearly 4,000 gallons—just think of it! Jersey cows will usually not produce as much in quantity as the Holsteins but Jersey milk often contains 5% or 6% or more butter-fat, and a few of the best have been known to produce 800 to 900 lbs. of butter in one year, an amount equal to the cow’s own weight. The red Danish cow is an exceedingly good and highly bred milk producer which, however, has not been introduced in the United States, but the Scotch Ayrshires and the Brown Swiss are other well-known dairy breeds which are in favor with many American farmers.
