932 



Rapid methods of determining fat in milk. — Compiled notes are given on the various 

 milk tests which have been proposed in Europe and the United States, a number of 

 which have been tested by the author. The methods of Demichel, Beimling, Bab- 

 cock, and Thorncr are described. Tests of a number of these methods have led to 

 the conclusion that for dairies and cooperative creameries the Babcock and Beimling 

 methods possess in a greater degree than others proposed the qualities of accuracy, 

 simplicity, rapidity, and cheapness. 



The author also describes a method of testing the hardness of butter, practically 

 the same a« that described by Parsons in Bulletin No. 13 of the New Hampshire 

 Station (see Experiment Station Record, vol. iii, p. 86). 



New dairy apparatus. — Recent improvements in sejjarators and butter extractors 

 (particularly those of the De Laval naodel) are discussed. The Johansson extractor is 

 illustrated and described at some length. The air churn of Rolland &, Co. is 

 described and its method of use explained. In this apparatus churning is accom- 

 plished bj' forcing a current of air through the milk or cream by means of a bellows 

 communicating with the bottom of the chum. The inventors claim that this appa- 

 ratus maybe used in extracting butter from sweet milk, but experimental tests indi- 

 cate that it works well only with sour milk. It couseqtiently yields a sour skim milk, 

 and in this respect it is at a disadvantage as compared with the separat-or. In some 

 respects, however, the air churn is superior to the ordinary churn. Care must be 

 taken that the air used is filtered, and the churn operated in a place free fmm ba*l 

 odors. 



The Lefkmann' ani> Bkam mii.k tkst. — The method as described by the authors 

 in the Anahjitt for May consists in dissolving the casein in 15 c. c. of milk with con- 

 centrated sulphuric acid and a mixture of equal parts of amyl alcohol and strong 

 hydrochloric acid, and collecting the fat in the grailnated neck of the test bottle by 

 adding a mixture of hot water ami sulphuric aoid and whirling in a centrifugjil 

 machine. The method appears to be identical with the Reimling test in all essential 

 details. No hot water is added in the Beimling test, and the graduation of the test 

 bottle may be slightly different. 



German Agimcitltukal Society. — Tlie annual meeting and fair of the German 

 Agricultural Society is held this year at Konigsberg, Prussia, June 16 to 20. The 

 meetings and fairs of thi'^ Society are events of more than ordinary interest on 

 :vccouut of the large number of agriculturists which they bring together, the num- 

 ber of prizes otfereil, and tlie extent and variety of the agricultural exhil>its. The 

 Society numbers at present <»vcr 7,000 memVicrs. The fair this year will include .S47 

 horses, 814 head of cattle, 410 sheep, and 251 pigs, together with poultry, agrictil- 

 tural productJ^ of all deseriptions, seeds, wines, apiary products, commercial fertil- 

 izers, commercial feeding stutfs. ])reserves, and over 2,300 machines and appliances. 

 The meetings of the Society consist of day sessions, evening entertainments, and 

 excursions, and are only open to members. 



Intkknationai. cunouks.s of sugar chemists. — At a meeting in the interest of 

 sugar iiiaiuifactnre held in connection witli tlie Vienna agricultural and forestry 

 congress in 18>i9, the question of metliods of an.'ilysis of sugars, molasses, etc., was 

 discusst'd, and the desirability of uniform niethoils w.is universally conceded. An 

 international congress of sugar chemist* for this purpose was urged. The matter 

 was tinally placed in charge of F. Strohmer, director i>f the experiment station of the 

 Central Society for Beet Sugar Inilustry in Austria-Hungary, who was given authority 

 to canvass the situation and to arrange for a congress if sufficient support was 

 rec<'ived from chemists and manufacturers in dill'ereiit countries. A circular on 

 this subject mailed tt> prominent sugar chemists anil manufacturers in Germany, 

 Holland, Fr.ance, England, Russia, Italy, aud .\meriea has elicited a large number of 

 favorable replies. The united chemists of Belgium are endeavoring to arrange for a 

 congress of sugar chemists at Brussels in ISitS, an<l the question of uniting the two 



