OF THE SADDLE AND SIRLOIN CLUB 75 



constituents of milk, thereby originating a mathematical form- 

 ula permitting the computation of the yield of cheese from a 

 given lot of milk. In 1896 as an associate of Dr. H. L. Russell, 

 he established the cause of the lessened consistency of pasteur- 

 ized milk, and in 1897 discovered the ferment galactase which 

 causes newly made cheese to break down to a digestible condi- 

 tion. Hitherto this had been believed to be due to bacteria. 

 Soon after this the Wisconsin Curd Test, an ingenious method 

 to detect tainted milk at creameries and cheese factories, was 

 annnounced by Babcock, Russell and Decker. In June, 1900,^ 

 he was appointed professor of agricultural chemistry, assistant 

 director, and chief chemist at the Experiment Station. During 

 the same year he received the honorary Degree of LL. D. at 

 Tufts College. Australian and New Zealand dairymen presented 

 him during this year with an oil painting and a beautifully illus- 

 trated album of their countries, in recognition of his most impor- 

 tant discoveries. Although he was no exhibitor, he was awarded 

 the grand prize of honor at the Paris Exposition. On March 

 27th, 1901, the legislature of Wisconsin before an assembly of 

 state officials, presented him with a large golden bronze medal 

 in recognition of his contribution to dairy progress. In 1913 

 he was made professor emeritus and retired from his most active 

 work. 



In spite of the fundamental nature of Dr. Babcock's contribu- 

 tion he is a man of broadest humanities. Each young investi- 

 gator at Madison has only to call to get the benefit of his 

 seasoned advice and his original viewpoints. For the solving of 

 physical difficulties in investigation Dr. Babcock is undoubt- 

 edly the most ingenious and self reliant man Wisconsin has ever 



