6 Testing Milk and Its Products. 



and even outside of them, as in case of the Short, Pat- 

 rick and Be i ml ing methods. The Babcock test soon, 

 however, nearly everywhere replaced the different meth- 

 ods mentioned, and during the past eight or ten years it 

 has been in practically exclusive use in creameries and 

 cheese factories in this country, where payments are 

 made on the basis of the quality of the milk delivered, 

 as well as in the routine work in experiment station 

 laboratories, and among milk inspectors and private 

 dairymen. 



9. The Babcock Test. An examination of the causes 

 of the present general adoption of the Babcock test will 

 show the strong points of the test, and the requirements 

 made of a practical milk test. The main causes why this 

 test has replaced all competitors are doubtless to be 

 sought in its simplicity and its cheapness. Its manipu- 

 lations are few and readily learned, and it is cheap, both 

 in first cost and as regards running expenses. 



The test is furthermore speedy, accurate, 1 and easily 

 applicable to practical conditions, and in the opinion of 

 the writers it is the very best milk test at our disposal. 



The method is applicable, besides to whole milk, to 

 cream, skim milk, butter milk, whey, condensed milk, 

 and (if a small scale for weighing out the sample is avail- 

 able) to cheese. 



With all its advantages, the Babcock milk test is not 

 in every respect an ideal test. The handling of the very 

 corrosive sulfuric acid requires constant care and atten- 



i For a summary of comparative analyses made by the Babcock test 

 and gravimetric analysis up to 181)2, see Hoard's Dairyman, Oct. 7, 1892, p. 

 2.560; alKoSrhrott-Fierhl), Milchzeitnng, 1890, p. 183 etseq. 



