154 PROFITABLE DAIRYING 



provement be made, disposed of. Putting butter 

 fat into milk is an individual power of the cow. A 

 3 per cent, producer cannot be made into one 

 whose test shows 5 per cent. The quantity of her 

 flow may be increased, but the quality of the milk is 

 fixed by the cow herself. The Babcock test will 

 not lie. 



An unknown cow should never be bought without 

 testing her with the Babcock test. If the owner of 

 the cow has never used one he should be asked for 

 a sample of the milk to test. Quantity of flow 

 argues but little in the butter-producing dairy. Fif- 

 teen pounds of 6 per cent, milk is worth as much as 

 thirty pounds of 3 per cent., and, as a rule, the 

 former can be bought at a much smaller price than 

 the latter. With the exception of the slight credit 

 to be given for the skim milk, the production of the 

 former, when it reaches the churn, is worth as much 

 as that of the latter cow. It is better to have one 

 three hundred pound cow than three one hundred and 

 fifty pound cows. There are two extra cows to keep, 

 and the big hole they make in the hay-mow and grain 

 bin is not compensated by additional one hundred and 

 fifty pounds of butter. The greatest profit ever made 

 from the one hundred and fifty pound cow is when 

 she is sold and the proceeds invested in a three 

 hundred pound cow. All of this is demonstrated 

 by the Babcock test. 



The acid bottle should have a glass stopper. A 

 graduate glass is needed in taking the acid from the 

 large bottle. It should be used to pour the acid 

 into the acid measure. It is better to have another 

 pint bottle from which to pour into the graduate. 



