REPORT OF THE CHEMIST. 151 



spoon) is ample, and is to be recommended as giving excellent results. The daily shuk 

 ingofthe composite when adding a sample, should bedonegently and thoroughly, and 

 the bottle kept in a cool place. If the fat readings are obscui-e through charring due 

 to excess of the preservative, the quantity of acid must be slightly reduced. 



The basis or plan of paying in creameries and cheese factories for milk accord- 

 ing to its percentage of fat, as made possible by the Babcock test, appears to give 

 excellent satisfaction to all parties concerned, and it is pleasurable to note that every 

 succeeding year marks its more extensive adoption. It puts the value of the milt 

 upon the constituent that is of the greatest commercial value, and at the same 

 time does away with the necessity of irritating inspection. It encourages good 

 breeding and good feeding, and gives an impulse to intelligent and economic farm- 

 ing. It affords to each patron a just and equitable recompensd for his merchandise 

 and must present itself as being the best basis so far brought forward for the pur- 

 chase and sale of milk. 



DESICCATED MILK. 



A sample of this substance, which is made by the evaporation of milk, to which 

 a certain amount of cane sugar has been added, was forwarded from Souris, Prince 

 Edward Island, where it had been manufactured. 



It is in the form of a yellowish-white powder, and it is claimed that it may be 

 preserved in good condition and palatable for a length of time, even though exposed 

 to the atmosphere. If it possesses this latter quality, it may for certain uses replace 

 the ordinary condensed milk. 



In view of its possible introduction into the markets as a Canadian dairy pro- 

 duct, its analysis was deemed advisable. 



Analysis. 



Water 5-44 



Fat 21-73 



Albuminoids (casein and albumen) 18-01 



Ash 3 15 



Milk sugar 25-::2 



Cane sugar 26-45 



100-(J0 



WELL WATERS. 



It is undoubtedly owing to what has been said in previous reports that year by 

 year there is to be noticed an increased interest taken by farmers in the condition of 

 their water supplies. This is indeed encouraging, but from the character of the 

 samples forwarded for analysis, it is plain that our warnings as to the danger of 

 pollution from the barnyard, stables, &c., must be continued. It is probably true that 

 those only who very strongly suspect contamination send samples — since farniers 

 wishing an analysis are required to follow instructions (forwarded on application) 

 and also to prepay express charges — yet the data here given emphasize the fact 

 that many waters used on Canadian farms are seriously and dangerously pol- 

 luted. In the majority of instances there is no necessit}' to have impure water, 

 the contamination of the supply being due to the location of the well in the barn- 

 yard or stable, or in the vicinity of some such source of pollution. As a matter of 

 course, such wells must act more or less as cess-pools. 



