DR S. M. BABCOCK.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1612, 21 January 1903, Page 61

DR S. M. BABCOCK.

THE MAN WHO REVOLUTIONISED DAIRYING. THE FAMOUS TEST; ITS HISTORY" AND SUCCESS. (By Fred Cranefield, Wisconsin Experiment Station, CJ.S.A.) DR. BABCOCK’S PICTURE. I asked him Avhether he would tell me something of the origin of the test, how it come to be, etc., and lie assured me that ho would. Dr. Babcock is a man of middle age, of medium height, slight build, with tx narrow, thin face. Dark eyes tell of kindness, candour, and good nature. Whether in the class-room, laboratory, ■ or in friendly conversation, his voice is pitched in a moderate tone, and the words flow smoothly and distinctly. His colleagues say of him, “A wonderfully exact man.” His pupils, say, “We like Dr. Babcock because he comes doAAUi to our level.” All- who knoAV him say, “A kindly, modest man.” Not locked and barred within the closet of self, but Aviiling to be approached at all times. His main characteristics, then, are good nature and modesty. He must be a patient and persevering man or he could not have AA'orked out the simple principles of his test. All understand now-how the sulphuric acid of a certain strength is used to dissolve the casein in the milk, and thus leave the fat free to be driven to the top, and measured. In talking with such a man, of course, Ave first think of causes which led up to his success, therefore, the first question naturally was: — HISTORY OF THE TEST. “‘How did it come about that you started on the Babcock test?” “There had been, for years, a growing need of such a test. A need of something to avoid the pooling of milk and cream at creameries and factories. The tendency of the pooling system was toward poorer milk. It was found that the yield of cheese from a pound of milk was continually diminishing. In a short time, the entire factory system Avon Id surely have gone tinder, and been replaced by farm dairies or some other means of disposing of the milk product, i Up to the time when I first began work on this problem, all tests that had appeared had to be handled by chemists, and Avere not adapted to factory work, Mr Short, of this Station (Wisconsin), had worked out a test, but it Avas too complicated.” “How long ago did you first think of it?”

“I had seen the need of such a test for many years, but had done no work on it tiil about 12 years ago; at that

time, soon after the completion of Short’s test, Professor Henry - told me that AA“e must have something simpler, and requested me to try my hand at it.” “Did you start on a different line, and finally reach the acid idea by trial?” “I started with t-Ue material at hand, which Avas„ Short’s test and Soxhlet’s test. From these, step by step, trial by trial, I advanced to the completion of the test. I used alkalies as Avell as acids, and these in combination with ether. At first, I thought I could not get along without the ether; others had tried acid alone, and failed.” “The impression prevails, Doctor, outsido of scientific circles, that you arrived at this by mere chance. It was not fool luck then?” “No, sir!” Avith emphasis, “it was hard Avork and not luck.” “Do you consider the test perfect? In Avhat Avay can it he improA r ed ?” “No, I do not consider the test perfect, but consider it entirely practical, and I don’t see now how to improve it. The test has now* been in existence eight years, and lias proved generally satisfactory. The only improvements that liaAm been made have been in the mechanical end, that is, better machinery has been devised for operating it. Attempts have been made to improve it, but all have come back to the original idea. If an improved test should be brought out, it Avould, probably, be an improvement from the mechanical end.” “Do you expect to offer the public an improved test? If so, along what lines will the improvement be made?” “I am not now* working on milk testing lines, and have no> problems in vieAV in that direction. My time at present is occupied with other problems connected with dairy work.” EFFECTS OF THE TEST. “In a general way, how has the test changed the business of dairying?” “By making the producer, the farmer, more directly responsible for the quality of his product. It has improved the quality of the milk brought the factories and creameries—not only in per cent, of butter fat, but in cleanliness a.ud purity as Avell. This has come about for two reasons:“First, the adoption of the test by creameries has stopped adulteration. The temptation to adulterate is, probably, as great as ever, but no farmer with common sense will pay for hauling water to the creamery when he knows that he will receh’e nothing for it. “Second, the farmer has secured better cows, and given them better care. With improved care, the quality of the ill ilk has improved. “Further, the test has made it possible for the farmer to test bis individual cows, and by that means to weed out the unprofitable ones. In many cases the students in our short course have raised the per cent, of butter fat in their herds \ r ery appreciably by using the test.” TEST BY MILK DEALERS. “A plan has been proposed to compel milk dealers to guarantee the per cent, of fat in their milk; what do you think of the plan?” “I consider it entirely practicable for any reputable dealer to guarantee 3£ per cent, of butter fat in the milk handled by him. The truth is, and I have recently bad occasion to learn that it is true, the test is now used by the dealers that supply/ large cities Avith milk. I mean that a test may be found in many, if not all, of the milk farms in the regions that supply the larger cities with milk.” “What use do they make of the test if no guarantee is required of the farmers ?” “Probably as a check on the farmer, but more than likely to be sure that no milk is sent to market that tests more than the required standard, or that/on the other hand, would render them liable to prosecution.” “Do you mean that some of the milk is skimmed?” “I mean that it would be very easy for a dealer to skim a portion of the daily intake at' times when the average Avas largely above the required standard, and send cream as well as milk to market; and there is no doubt in my mind that the parties at the other end of the line do the same. New York City, is, probably, the largest cream-shipping centre in the United States. Immense quantities of cream are shipped., to points along the coast, and I doubt whether all of it is shipped to New York as cream.” “But would it be possible for tho average milk dealer to handle the test with sufficient accuracy to enable him to make such a guarantee ?” “Of course it would! The factory men do this. In all the factory sections of the West the operators use the test Avith satisfaction to both producer and employer. W T hv may not the same thing be done in milk farms supplying centres? The secret of the whole business is to pay the according to the per cent, of fat; if that be done, there will be no adulteration. Again I tell you that the gain tp the milk consumer Avill net be wholly in richer milk, but in cleaner and purer milk, for the improvement will surely be in these directions as well as in the increase of the fat content.” OTHER DAIRY PROBLEMS. “You spoke of other problems a moment ago. Can you give an outline of

the work in which yon are engaged at present?” “In connection with Dr. Russell, ol this Experiment Station, I am working on methods of manufacture, and more especially on methods of ripening cheese. The details of this work we are not prepared to give to the public at present. I feel that whatever of value or of credit has come from the work sent out from here, has come from the fact that it has been thoroughly tested before being given to the public.” “Will you tell me, Doctor, some of the conditions under which the composition of milk varies.” “The composition of milk varies chiefly in the per cent, of buttei fat that it contains. The solids, not fat, are very nearly constant under all conditions in all animals. Among natural conditions that affect the composition of milks may be mentioned breed characteristics. The variations oi the solids, not fat, due to breeds, are very slight, however, not more than one to two-tenths of 1 per cent, in any case, As the period of lactation advances, both the fat and solids not fat increase ; that is, ‘’stripper’ milk is richer than that from a fresh cow.” “An idea is very prevalent that different feeds affect the per cent, of fat in the milk. Is this true?” “'So far as the per cent, of fat is concerned, there is little if any changeyou will get more milk as a result of heavier feeding, but not richer milk. In a herd, a change of feed will, perhaps, cause some or the cows to give richer milk, and others will give poorer milk. Any change of feed is

likely to affect the fat content, but you cannot, with any reasonable degree of certainty, increase the per cent, of fat in milk by a change; of feed.”

Here the Doctor cited numerous experiments in proof of this, and called attention to the fact that the more extensive the experiments, the more marked were the results. An experiment lasting for a week with a single cow was of no value. An experiment conducted in Denmark with milk from 1000 cows during the whole of two periods cf lactation, showed a variation of less than one one-hundredth of one per cent. “You mention natural causes that affect the composition; what other causes exist?”

“Anything that disturbs a cow tends to reduce the per -cent", of fat in the milk; especially is this true if the disturbance is at the time of milking. I will guarantee that, by milking an animal, I can affect the per centage of fat more than the most expert feeder can by feeding, and I will milk dry every time, hut I null milk as I-piease.”