370 



Testing Milk and Cream. 



[sett., 



the amount produced is not accurately known, it is said to be 

 larger than the total of any other country in the world. The 

 condensed milk industry is also of considerable importance, and 

 nearly 187,000,000 lb. were produced in 1900. 



The aggregate production of butter in the United States in 

 1900 amounted to nearly 1,492,700,000 lb., of which 1,071,745,000 

 lb. were produced on farms, and the rest at creameries. It 

 is estimated that 50,000,000 lb. which " escaped " the Census 

 returns should be added to the total. During the decennial 

 period ending in 1900 the produce of the creameries increased 

 from 1 5 '2 to 28*2 per cent, of the total quantity of butter made 

 in the country, whilst the amount produced on the farms de- 

 creased from 8 1*8 to 71 "8 per cent. This aggregate annual 

 production of butter is at the rate of 502 lb. to every square 

 mile of land area in the United States, exclusive of Alaska, 

 and furnishes a supply of 19*57 lb. per capita of the population, 

 being 14*06 lb. of farm dairy butter and 5*5 1 lb. of creamery 

 butter. As regards cheese, 16,372,330 lb. were produced on 

 farms in 1900, and 282,634,488 lb. at factories, the total repre- 

 senting a supply of 3 - 9 lb. per head of the population. The 

 proportion made on the farms declined from 7*25 per cent, in 

 1890, to 5*5 per cent, in 1900. The remarkable transfer of the 

 dairy industry in America from the farm to the factory has 

 therefore been more marked with respect to cheese than in the 

 case of butter, and the change appears moreover to be steadily 

 increasing. 



The centrifugal methods of analysis known as the Babcock, 



Gerber, and Leffmann-Beam tests are now largely used for 



commercial purposes in determining the 



Testing" Milk percentage of fat in milk. Not only milk 

 and Cream by the ■ , , ■ . , , ■ . c ' . 



Babcock Method dealers, but creameries and butter lactones 



conduct their business and settle accounts 



with their suppliers on the basis of quality as shown by one 



of the methods. With a view of ensuring the accuracy of the 



apparatus employed, the Board, as has been previously notified,* 



* Journal, Vol. VII., p. 480, Mar., 1901. Journal, Vol. X., p. 259, Sept., 1903. 



