Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1895-09-25

DIR. S. M. BABCOCK.
York agricultural experiment station,
Geneva, 1927. In 1888 he was elected
professor of agriculture in the Univer-
sity of Wisconsin and chemist to the
Wisconsin agricultural experiment sta
ton.
At this time there was no efficient
and expeditions method of accurately
testing milk, and it was quite apparent
to DR.. Babcock that until some method
could be devised and apparatus provided
adapted for use ON the farm and at the
creamery and cheese factory and not re-
quiring the Intervention of trained
chemist, there could be no certainty in
any department. of dairy work.
The problem he set himself to solve
was to combine the two systems of sep
arating the fat-chemical reagents to
liberate it from its enveloping serum
and mechanical force to gather it into
mass by itself-and in July, 1890, the
Wisconsin station issued bulletin "a,
entitled "a New Method For the Esti-
nation of Fat In Milk, Especially
Adapted to Creameries and Cheese Fac
tories
This describes what is known as the
"Babcock milk test, - which had it
been patented would have been the foun-
dation of an independent fortune for the
inventor. But DR.. Babcock was in the
public service receiving salary for his
services as an expert from the public
treasury, and his appreciation of the re
lations of public servant to the public
was so sensitive that he considered this
invention did not belong to him person
ally, but to the public, and he gave it to
the public so fully, freely and unre-
servedly that not SO much as one dollar
has ever come to him in the way of roy
atty, commission Or gratuity. Instead of
extra pecuniary recompense his reward
has been vast amount Of extra labor
and the satisfaction of having conferred
a great benefit upon his fellow men.
Through the labors of DR.. Babcock
and Professor Henry, the head of the
agricultural college, the University of
Wisconsin offered the first regular course
of dairy instruction given in America.
The Babcock test is now used in all
parts of Europe, in India and extensive
~ in New Zealand and Australia, where
possibly it is more common than in the
state Of Wisconsin, where it originated.
Why Cheese Cracks.
At recent meeting of the North
western Cheesemakers' association the
question why cheese cracked in the cur
ing room and in. cold storage received
considerable attention. The general re-
suit of the discussion was that the crack
ing Of cheese was due to c. lack of moist
ure. The water in the cheese evaporated
rapidly when the surrounding atmes-
phere was too dry, and the result was
cracks in the cheese Mr.. Hacker
thought that with cheddar cheese from
60 to IS degrees should be the temper /
allure of the curing rooms, and that the
saturation should be about 85 to 80 de-
grees. Mr.. Ostrom thought the satura
tion of his curing room was from 6S to
20 degrees with the thermometer at
from so to IS degrees. The chairman
believed that a curing room could not
be kept too moist if there was proper
ventilation. His point of saturation was
close to 80 degrees, with temperature
of so, and the results were good The
point developed by the discussion was
that the cheese must not be too dry or
cracks will pretty certainly follow
Next Year Plant Corn For the Cows.
The Binghamton Dairy association
is reported to have advanced the price
of milk from 4 to 5 cents per quart. a
severe and long continued drought all |
through that part of the country has
shortened the pasturage to such an ex-
tent that the flow of milk has been re-
duced about one third Some are report
ed to be selling their stock, being I'M
able to feed them. We received inquiries
at a late day from different parts of the
country as to what could possibly be
sown to mature before frost to help out
the short hay crop. We wonder how
many Of these men used their best en-
deayors to raise corn crop for feeding
their cattle !-Exchang