146 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



of the Babcock milk test before coming to Madison. Other 

 institutions could doubtless report the same familiarity with 

 the subject among their students. 



A thorough course in milk testing is generally considered 

 an important part of the instruction now given at all dairy 

 schools, as well as in the agricultural department of all Ameri- 

 can Universities. 



At the Wisconsin Dairy School, about one-third of the 

 students' instruction is devoted to milk testing or laboratory 

 work, of which this subject is the principle feature. It con- 

 sists not only of the twenty-four lectures given by Dr. Bab- 

 cock, the inventor of the process, but about six hours each 

 week of actual work in the milk testing laboratory. The 

 student's work begins with all the apparatus, acid, etc., in 

 as nearly a perfect condition as w^e can supply them. After 

 they have become acquainted with the eight different testers, 

 which we have this winter, and are sufficiently familiar with 

 the operations to become confident that they can make accur- 

 ate tests when everything works right, they are given a drill 

 in the various conditions, which are found to give inaccurate 

 tests, with instructions regarding the best way of overcoming 

 milk testing difficulties. 



In this department of the Dairy School they are also 

 taught how to use the lactometer in connection with the milk 

 test, and by its use to determine the total solid substances in 

 milk, and to detect the adulteration of milk which has been 

 either skimmed or watered. This, together with the instruc- 

 tion in testing the acidity of milk and cream, occupies, as 

 previously stated, about one-third of the dairy student's time 

 at the Wisconsin Dairy School. The remaining two-thirds 

 of the instruction is given in practical and theoretical butter 

 and cheese making. 



SAMPLING MILK FOR TESTING. 



The necessity of thoroughly and properly mixing a sample 

 of milk before testing it is clearly demonstrated by comparing 

 the test of the top and bottom of a quantity of milk about 

 ten inches in depth that has stood quietly for about fifteen 

 minutes. If a ten quart pail is filled with milk and allowed 

 to stand undisturbed for about one-quarter of an hour, it will 



