108 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



under a brand which will mislead you and at the same time cost 

 you much more to purchase. 



DISCUSSION. 



A Member: Do you know what they call on the Pacific 

 Coast boraxine.'^ 



Prof. Weems: Boraxine has been used, I think, as a pre- 

 servative for general purposes, and its composition is similar to 

 many others on the market containing boric acid, 



Mr. Spicer: Is it to be understood that all preservatives re- 

 tard digestion in the human stomach.^ 



Prof. Weems: Some experiments appear to indicate that 

 there are some preservatives which have little or no effect on 

 the digestive processes, but we know practically nothing of the 

 results of the continued use of small quantities of such substances. 

 The substances which retard fermentation will also retard the 

 digestive processes, is, I think, the conclusion of anyone who in- 

 vestigates the subject. 



THE ALKALI TEST FOR THE DETERMINATION OF 

 LACTIC ACID IN CREAM AND MILK. 



There is a method which has been introduced in the cream- 

 ery within recent years call the "alkali test. " This method is 

 used for the purpose of determining the amount of lactic acid 

 present in milk or cream. There is present in milk and cream 

 a substance known as milk sugar, which when acted upon by the 

 lactic ferment is changed to lactic acid. During these changes 

 there is produced certain products which give a high flavor to 

 the butter, and the amount of lactic acid within certain limits 

 appears to govern the flavor. One of the problems in connec- 

 tion with the production of butter flavor is the investigation of 

 the amount of acid present in the cream when the best flavored 

 butter is produced. One of the substances which is used in the 



