THE BABCOCK TEST 65 



Three points deserve attention in this connection: 

 (i) The temperature of the water added, (2) the 

 kind of water used and (3) the number of times water 

 is added. 



(1) The temperature of the water added should be 

 above 120 F. The aim in general should be to have 

 the temperature of the fat at the close of whirling at 

 130 or 140 F., and the temperature of the water 

 added should have reference to this fact. However, 

 any effect of too hot or too cold water can be remedied 

 after the final whirling by adjusting the temperature 

 as needed. 



(2) Clean, pure, distilled water is the best form to 

 use and, next, soft rain water. Hard water may seri- 

 ously affect the results. Objections to hard water 

 may in most cases be overcome by thorough boiling 

 or by previous treatment with a few drops of sul- 

 phuric acid. 



(3) Some operators add the hot water only once, 

 filling the bottle to near the top of the neck immedi- 

 ately after the first whirling. The advantage of ad- 

 ding the water in two portions is that the fat is washed 

 free from adhering impurities, since the fat-column is 

 often mixed with various particles which render the 

 reading uncertain and frequently too high. 



READING RESULTS IN PERCENTAGE OF FAT 



After the last whirling is completed, the test-bottles 

 are removed from the tester, one at a time, in order 

 to read the results of the test. To ascertain the 

 amount of fat, hold the test-bottle upright, having the 

 graduated scale of the neck of the bottle on a level 



