Vermont Agricultural Report. 53 



tions are not noticeable, but when it conies to taking differ eiit 

 samples into consideration, then variations occur, but rather than 

 suppose that the test is wrong, remember that samples are not 

 alike, for two samples of milk from different milkings of the 

 same cow or from two cans of cream from the same separator 

 are very likely to vary, though many of the variations come from 

 improper sampling which the test is not responsible for. If 

 we can only come to see that our samples are continually varying, 

 then we will consider all the more, the necessity of making 

 tests and realize that our results may never be the same when 

 we test different samples. I would not however,, give the im- 

 pression that the test gives accurate results without careful 

 manipulation nor do I mean that a dishonest person will give 

 honest results, for care, accuracy and honesty on the part of the 

 tester are absolutely essential, and in fact, the more these essen- 

 tials are practiced the better the results will be. 



It is a fact that any person with ordinary intelligence can 

 learn in a short time to do accurate work with the Babcock Test 

 which makes it all the more unreasonable for them to suspect the 

 results until they have done the work themselves, tested their 

 own samples and made comparisons with those at the factory. 



No person has any more right to accuse dishonesty in mak- 

 ing tests, without knowing for himself the truth of the state- 

 ment, than to accuse another of any crime without any knowl- 

 edge or proof, for it is a crime to cheat with the test as much 

 as it is to cheat in weight. 



The invention of the Babcock Test was made necessary by 

 the demand of dairymen for a simple and accurate method of 

 determining the fat content of milk by which the quantity of 

 butter in the milk of each individual cow could be determined. 



The value of a cow had been found to be in the amount of 

 butter that she would make each day, instead of thinking a cow 

 was a cow no matter how much milk or butter she would produce, 

 and the only way to test her accurately was to set her milk and 

 churn the cream separately, which had a good many difficulties 

 attendant to it, besides the great amount of time which was 

 necessary to test 20 or 30 cows, each separately, so some method 

 that would require but little time to operate and give accurate 

 results was necessary and the Experiment Stations set about 

 to find such a machine and no less than eight different tests 

 were invented by the different Stations, but on account of the 

 simplicity and accuracy of the one invented by Dr. S. JM. Bab- 

 cock. chemist at the Wisconsin Station, it has displaced all 

 others and has come to be accepted by the whole world, to 

 which it was given without any gain to its inventor, a means 

 so simple that anyone who will, may operate it, and thereby de- 



