TESTING CREAM BY THE BABCOCK TEST 85 



displaced ; it has been strongly condemned by many on 

 the basis of actual, comparative results. While it pos- 

 sesses the single advantage of reducing the cost and 

 work of testing, the disadvantages connected with it 

 entirely overcome this one advantage. An added ad- 

 vantage of testing each delivery of cream promptly, 

 is that the use of a preservative is avoided and any 

 unused portion of the cream sample left can be poured 

 back into the cream-vat, thus avoiding appreciable 

 waste when large numbers of samples are considered. 



PREPARATION OF SAMPLES FOR TEST 



If the cream is fresh and not too thick, the only 

 preparation required to make the sample uniform, 

 previous to weighing sample, is to give the bottle a 

 rotary motion "or to pour the cream carefully. 



Very thick, heavy cream, often found in case of 

 samples kept very cold, is warmed to a temperature not 

 above 85 or 90 F., then poured carefully and weighed 

 quickly. 



As recommended by Hills (Bulletin 100, Vermont 

 Exp. Sta.), lumpy cream is passed through a small 

 sieve (Fig. 33), such as is commonly used in kitchens. 

 Any remaining lumps found in the sieve are rubbed 

 through the meshes by the fingers, after which the 

 cream is thoroughly mixed by pouring from one cup to 

 another. The sample is then quickly taken for testing. 



In the case of a cream sample in which the fat is 

 completely separated, or churned, or is changed into 

 a tough, leathery consistency (conditions often found 

 in carelessly-stored composite samples), it is heated 

 to a temperature of 105 to 110 F. to melt the fat, 



