The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-21

line. and many Of the material improve
ments in the cream separator and several
novel patterns have since been invented
| here. There are, at present more than
| 10000 of these machines in operation in
| the United States.i -
FAT TRsT FOR MILK.
| The second great dairy invention Of the
period is the popular fat test for milk
| being a quick and easy substitution for
! chemical analysis This is one of the
| public benefactions of the experiment sta
| tons of the Agricultural Department. In
several States these stations have done
| much creditable work in dairy investiga-
ton. and from them have come several
clever methods for testing the fat con-
tent of milk. The one which has been
generally approved and adopted in this
and other lands is named from its ORR
ginator. DR. s. NJ Babcock, of Wisconsin,
chemist and dairy Investigator This test
combines the principle of centrifugal
force with simple chemical action
The machine on the Babcock plan has
been made in a great variety of patterns.
simple and inexpensive for home use and
more elaborate and substantial for fac
cries BY these machines from two to
forty samples may be tested at once in
few moments, and by the use Of bottles
specially provided the percentage of fat
may be determined in samples OF MIX
cream, skirn milk, or butter milk vi
course, the glassware appurtenanceS OF
these testers must be mathematically &C
curate. Besides the machine and its MT
tingS the only supplies needed are sui
phuric acid of standard strength and
warm water. Any person of Intelligence
can soon learp to make the requisite
tests. using. however, a considerable
nd I'LL
This fat test of milk has wide appli-
cation, and it may fairly be questioned
whether 1t is second to the cream separa-
tor in advancing the economics of dairy
ing The percentage of fat being accept
ed as the measure of value for milk for
nearly all purposes. the Babcock test may
be made the basis for municipal milk IN
spection, for fixing the price OF milk de-
livered to city dealers, to cheese factories.
creameries. and condenseries. and for
commercial settlements between patrons
in cooperative dairying of any kind BY
this test, also. the dairy farmer may
prove the quality of milk from his diff
ferent cows and fix their respective value
as dairy animals. Cows are. indeed, now
frequently bought and sold upon the basis
of the milk scale and the Babcock test.
1t should be noted that although clearly
patentable. thus offering to the patentee
an independent income through very
small royalty, this priceless invention and
boon to dairying was freely given TO the
public by DIR. Babcock. Recognition OF
this service has taken the form OF
medal voted by the legislature OF W1scon-
sin, and handsome testimonial has been
sent by the spontaneous action of cream
cry men In distant New Zealand.
The outlook for dairy farming in the
United States is most gratifying. The
present century finds the industry estab-
lished upon a plane far above the crude
and variable domestic art of three or four
generations ago The mich COW itself,
upon the which the whole business rests.
is now almost as much 2 machine as
natural product, aud very different
creature indeed from the average animal
of the olden time. Instead of a few
homely and inconvenient implements for
use in the laborious duties Of the dairy,
perfected appliances. skillfully devised to
accomplish their object and tighten labor,
are provided. Long rows of shining tin
pans no longer adorn rural dooryards.
The factory system of cooperative or
concentrated manufacture has so far
taken the place of home dairying that in
entire States the cheese vat or press is
rare as the handloom1 and in many coun-
ties 4 is as hard to find farm churn as
a spinning wheel g
SAMPLE OF CHANGES " DAIRY PRACTICES.
Northern Vermont has long been re-
gion of large butter production. During
the middle of the last century the country
made butter from miles around came TO
the market at St Adams. the business
centre Of Franklin county. Every Tues
day was i.S market there, and the av-
erdge weekly supply was thirty to forty
tons. This butter was very varied i'll
quality, was sampled and classified with
much labor and expense, placed in three
grades. and forwarded TO the Boston mar
ket, 200 miles distant During Twenty-Five
years ending in 1875 some 65,-
10000 pounds, valued at $1,000
600. passed through this little
town. All OF this was dairy butter
made upon l 600 or z. 900 farms. in as many
churns. In 1880, the first creamery was
built in this country; ten years later there
were hfteen. Now. creamery company
located at st. Adams has fifty-odd skim
ming or separating stations distributed
through this and adjoining counties. To
these Is carried the milk from more than
800 cows
Farmers having home separators may
deliver cream which. being inspected and
tested, is accepted and credited at it's
actual butter value. just as other raw ma
terial is sold to mills and factories. The
separated cream is conveyed by rail and
wagon-largely the former-to the central
factory There. in one room, from ten to
twelve tons of butter are made every
working day. \ single churning place for
a whole county! All of this butter is of
standard quality, extra creamery" and
is sold on its reputation, upon orders
from different points received in advance
of it's manufacture. The price is rela-
lively higher than the average for the
product of the same farms fifty years
ago. This is mainly because Of better
average quality and greater uniformity
two important advantages OF the cream
cry system.