The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1912-12-19
XVI.-The Babcock
Milk Test.
By LAURA ROSE.
Demonstration and Lecturer In Dairyins
at the Ontano Agricultural Col
Iese. Guelph, Canada

cows. 1t condemns or PRAISES
the work Of the separator. II
reveals the loss of fat In whey and put
termilk. and 1t puts check on dishon-
esty by having milk and cream sold
nm the value Of their fat content. No
dairyman should feel his equipment
complete without one. 1t Is SIMPLE
quick and cheap. A four bottle Bah
cock tester. complete, can be had Tor
S. or SC.
Milk testing is not complicated or
tedious thing to do. A careful boy or
girl fourteen or fifteen years OLD can
soon learn to make correct tests
There is no better way Of getting the
children interested in the cows.
The Babcock test is simple. quick.
cheap and reliable test for determining
the percentage Of fat in milk. cream
etc.
General Rules For Making the Test.
All the glassware must be perfectly
clean. Wash it in u strong solution OF
soda and rinse it well afterward.
Have a representative sample OF the
milk or cream to be tested. 1t must De
from the entire milk, well mixed. Sam
pies of cream, skimmilk, buttermilk
and whey must be taken from the bulk
after being we'll stirred from the bot
tom to the top At the time OF making
the test the sample should be poured
from one vessel to another, SO as 10
obtain a thorough and even mixture.
It should be at temperature OF De-
tween 60 and 20 degrees.
A 17.6 cubic centimeter pipette
is used to take the measure OF milk re-
uuired. Insert the small end in the
milk and the other, end in the mouth.
draw up the air and the milk rises in
the tube. When the pipette is filed
with milk. quickly place the index I'm
ger Of the right hand over the top OF
the pipette. Hold the pipette on level
with the eye and slowly allow little
air to get in by slightly easing the
pressure Of the finger. The milk will
run out in proportion to the air ad-
mitted. When the milk exactly reach
es the line indicating the proper
amount for test quickly press down
the finger.
Every Test Must Be Accurate.
A test is Of little or no value unless
it is in every way accurate.
Place the point of the pipette In the
neck Of the bottle, but do not shove 1t
In tightly; remove the finger from the
end, and the milk runs into the bot
tie. Blow to get the last drop.
Pour into the acid measure us Gu
bic centimeters Of commercial sulphuric
acid with a specific gravity of 1.S2'
When adding it to the milk hold the
test bottle on a slant. so as to- allow
the acid to run down the neck and I'M
der the milk and not fall directly on
top Of it.
By giving the bottle a gentle rotary
motion thoroughly mix the acid and
the milk Never point the neck Of the
bottle toward your own face or in the
direction Of any one else. The con-
tents of the bottle get very hot by the
action of the acid. The acid dissolves
all the constituents Of the milk except
the fat, which 1t heats and liberates.
Sulphuric acid is dangerous. 1t eats
holes in cloth and burns the skin. II
it gets on the hands or clothes imme-
diately wash with water. Ammonia
checks its action on cloth or leather
and restores the color. The acid must
be kept in glass or stone jars or bot
ties and always kept corked.
When each sample to be tested Is
taken as described put the bottles In
the machine. placing them 80 as to
maintain the balance and whirl for
four or Eve minutes. Stop the ma
chine and add sufficient hot water at a
temperature of $40 degrees to float the
fat into the marked scale space on the
neck Of the bottle. Rotate the ma
chine again for two minutes. then
place the bottles In water atwbout lao
degrees. having the water reach as
high as the top of the fat in the neck.
and read the fat column when at that
temperature.
1t Is we'll to use pair Of dividers or
compasses for measuring the fat The
points Of the dividers should be placed
at the extreme upper and lower limits
Of the fat column. Then carefully
place the one point Of the dividers al
she zero mark of the scale The divi
sion at which the other point touches
will show the percentage Of fat In the
sample tested.
The small divisions Of the scale read
two-tenths Of per cent. the large di
visions equal per cent on the who'll
milk bottles. Therefore II the fnt GOV
ers three large spaces and four small
ones the milk tested contains three and