Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1895-04-27
High Character Of the Worlds Fair
Dairy Tests.

tests between the breeds held at
Chicago, from May l2th to Oct Goth,
1898, will bear testimony to their
thoroughness, their impartiality and
the grand work that was accomplish
ed 10 the interest of dairy science
These tests gave TO the cows and
breeds participating therein an OPP
portunity to demonstrate their dairy
characteristics. They we're not tests
of a few days or week, but so pro.
longed that they exhibited to public
scrutiny the staying qualities of the
cows and breeds. This feature can
not be too strongly commended, as
the practical dairyman is not keep
ing cows for what they can accom-
plish in week, on forced diet, but
rather what they are capable of doing
throughout the whole year, under
rational feeding, and what the met
profit is which they will place to
the credit Of his bank account. The
latter element was essentially the
crucial one fthe tests, as all the de.
cisions were based on the COWS and
breeds Showing the greatest net
profit" The cows and breeds were
credited with their products and de-
bited with their feed The former
consisted in Test No. !, of cheese,
the price Of which was fixed accord.
ing to the scoring of same (Which
was done by experts appointed by
Chief Buchanan), and whey, at the
rate of 8 cents per hundred pounds,
and of the increase in live weight, at
4 cents per pound; in test No. Q, of
the butter, at price fixed by the
scoring of same by the same experts
as in the cheese test, of solids other
than butter fat, at 50 per 100 lbs.,
and Of increase in live weight; in test
No. 8. of butter alone.
A strict account was kept of all the
feed, which was charged at a sched-
ule price fixed by Chief Buchanan.
with the representatives of the
breeds prior to the tests beginning,
and could only be fed in the presence
of a representative of the Testing
Committee. ColumbianGuards were
stationed in the barns day and night,
to see that no feed was given the
cows except in the presence OF the
representatives of the Testing Com
mittee.
1t will thus be seen that every fea.
ture of dairying formed a factor in
these tests: the quantity OF milk in
Test Mol, through the whey and
cheese, quantity of milk in test No. Q,
through the solids other than butter
fat, and butter in Tests Nos. and 3.
A sample of the milk OF each COW
and the mixed milk of the herds
was taken daily, and analysed by
competent staff of chemists, under
the direct control OF Prof. Il. II.
Harrington, of Illinois; and deter
mination Of the fat in the milk was
made by the Babcock oil test each
day, and each COW credited with her
proper proportion of the products.
The milk was creamed, and the
cream churned in the dairy, under
the immediate and personal SUPER
vision of Prof. S. M. Babcock or I.
P. Roberts, two members OF the
Testing Committee.
In scoring the butter AMI cheese,
the expert judges had no means OF
identifying the packages they were
examining. After marking their
scores, they transmitted the pack
ages to Chief Buchanan, who, after
examining same, removed the names
Of The scorers and transmitted the
packages TO the Testing Committee,
who entered the scores. taking tie
average Of the three experts.
These tests we're the most pro-
longed, the most thorough, the most
fair and impartial that have ever
been held in the world, or are likely
to be for many years 10 come. They
cost the Worlds Columbian Expo
sition $4,000. They settled more
points in dairying than have ever
been settled before. They brought
TO light the merits, the strong and
weak points Of the breeds, and in
doing SO demonstrated that tie
Jersey is the greatest Of all dairy
cows.