Report of the Chemist.* 
The experimental work in the chemical laboratory for 
1886 has been principally a continuation of the study of 
milk and butter begun last year, and described in the last. 
report. In’connection with this work, much time has been 
given to the construction of a new viscometer, which prom- 
ises to be of great assistance, as it furnishes a means for 
the investigation of certain important properties of milk 
and butter that have hitherto escaped recognition. 
The analysis and artificial digestion of fodders have re- 
ceived more attention than during any previous year. This 
work has been conducted by Mr. Ladd, the assistant chem- 
ist, and a full account of the results will be found in his. 
report. 
Monthly examinations of the drainage water from the 
three lysimeters, and a daily record of the amount of sun- 
shine received have been made in the same manner as in 
previous years, and are herein tabulated. 
VISCOMETRY. 
A few experiments made with artificial emulsions, about. 
one year ago, seemed to show that the creaming and churn- 
ing qualities of milk were largely dependent upon its vis- 
cosity, and several attempts were made to measure this 
property of milk. The apparatus used for these trials con- 
sisted of a pipette with small jet, and was similar in prin- 
ciple to the viscometers generally employed for testing oils. 
It was soon demonstrated that methods of this kind could 
not be applied to milk, as small particles of solid matter are: 
invariably present which partially clog the opening of the 
pipette so that duplicate determinations with the same 
sample rarely give concordant results. Experiments were 
also made with mechanical devices, none of which were suc- 
cessful, till the apparatus described below was constructed. } 
*The description of this apparatus is taken from a paper, entitled A New 
Viscometer, read before the Chemical Section of The American Associatiom 
for the Advancement of Science at the Buffalo meeting, 1886. 
*S. M. Babcock. 
