Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1908-05-29
BABCOCK MILK TEST.
Simple. Accurate and Easily Mastered
With Little Siuuy
By J. H. Frandson. Professor Of Dairyinx,
Univ, rsity Of Idaho. Moscow.

great deal has been written about
testing milk and a lar,e numb of
farmers already use tue Babcock test /;
but en' u III inquiries have me to the
writer to warrant the assertion that Il g
subj CT Is not yet fully understood. /.
Many seem IT, have the idea that the
Babcock test Ia a complicated. and at
best an unreliable affair. This is an
erroneous idea and should not be al.
lowed to prevail. The test is simple,
accurate and easily mastered by anyone
who will give the matter little care.
ful study and attention. 1t must be
borne in mind that the accuracy and
valne Of the test depend not alone on
the test, but quite as much on the
pr per taxing Of the sample. II that
is improperly done the results are Of
little value. For example, the writer
has known OF cow-owners who, when
desiring to test the milk Of an individ.
ual COW, have taken the sample by
milking directly into the sample bot
tie. When it is known that the first
part Of a cows milk is largely water
and the last part of str ppings is very
rich in fat, it is self.evident that snch
a sample would yield results of little
value 80 far as determining the actual
richness of that p ,rticular cows milk.
The milk to be tested should be
poured from one can into another seve.
raj times or carefully stirred with a
stirrer until it is Of uniform mixture
The sample is then Immediately taken,
preferably with small, long handled
dpper. II the testing cannot be done
soon after lhe sample is taken il must
be placed in an alrtight jar and some
preventative added to ke' p L. sweet.
The Babcock test bottles are gradu.
ated on the supposition that an IS
gram sample IL taken. Milk varies
very little in Its specific gravity and a
p petite graduated to hold l7.6 cubic
centimeters will deliver approximately
lS grams Of milk. When the sample
10 'ady for testing, the jar contain ing
it should be placed in warm water and
slowly beated>to temperature Of about
20 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix the sam.
pie we'll; especially see that any cream
which may have gathered on the side
Of the jar is carefully mixed with the
other part Of the sample. The measure
ing p petite is now filled to the mark.
This is done by sucking the milk up
into the pipette above the mark; the
dry foreinger 10 Immediately placed
over the top Of the pipette to prevent
the milk from escaping. By gently
releasing the pressure the milk is al
lowed to flow out until level with the
mark on the stem Of the petite. The
pipstte now contains the IL grams.
The sample is now emptied into the
test bottle. To do this the test bottle
should be held in q slanting position,
the pressure on the pipette released, al.
lowing the milk to slowly run into the
bottle In such way as to allow the air
to gradually escape from the bottle.
The next step is adding the acid.
This is measured in the acid graduate;
the exact amount to use will depend
largely on the strength of the acid, the
temperature Of the sample to be tested,
etc. If ordinary commercial sulphuric
acid is used, l7.6 cubic centimeters
will be found approximately correct.
With little individual experimenting
the tester will soon notice the proper
amount to use. To prevent the burn
ing or charring of any part Of the milk
the acid is poured slowly down the eide
Of the bottle until all has been added
Now give the bottle a gentle rotary
motion, thus giving the acid q chance
to act equally on all parts o. the milk.
Then let it stand three or four minutes,
after which it is given another rotary
movement and then placed in the
tester.
The bottles are placed in the tester
in such position as to keep the ma.
chine balanced. The bottles should
now be whirled for five or six minutes
at such speed az is generally marked on
the machine. The machine is now al
lowed to slow down for the purpose of
adding water to the bottles. Enough
water Is added to bring the contents up
to the neck Of the bottle, after which
the machine is again started and run
for two minutes; again stopped and
sufficient warm water added to bring
oil the fat contents up into the gradu-
ated part Of the bottle. After another
whirling Of one minute the samples are
to be read. It may be we'll to state
that it is preferable to use soft water
and that the temperature should be
about 1s0 degrees Fahrenheit.
To read the amount Of fat, take one
oottle out ut a time, hold It upright,
the graduated part should be on level
with the eyes. The difference between
the highest and lowest limits Of the
butter fat column Is the amount of but
ter fac expressed in per cent direct.
Most milk bottles are graduated up to
10 per cent, each large division indi-
Gates one per cent and each small divis-
ion two-tenths of one per cent of butter