The PRESIDENT. If there is nothing further before the Board, we will proceed to other business,

Dr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, the report of the chemist, according to the action of this Society, may be made either to the Committee of Publication, or to the Executive Committee. The object of that action, I suppose, was to get it before the public as soon as possible, and I propose to present it here.

ANALYSES OF THE MILK OF PRIZE Cows.

Winners at the Exhibition held in Philadelphia, September, 1884.

To the President and Members of the Pennsylvania State Agricultural Society:

GENTLEMEN: At the exhibition of the Society held in Philadelphia in 1880, analyses of the milk of cows of five of the principai breeds of cattle were made under the direction of the undersigned.

The results, as tabulated in his report, created much interest, as well among the general agricultural public, as among the owners of the cattle tested, and other exhibitors at the fair of that year. This interest was manifested not only by the publicity given to the report by the agricultural press, but also by the varied opinions expressed by writers upon the value of such analyses, and the milk which should be taken when a comparison of breeds is the object desired. Some of the writers appeared to be unmindful of the fact that from the nature of the case the test could be applied only to the milk of animals on exhibition, while others contended that the analyses should be more elaborate, and include one or more proximate principles in addition to the butter fat and casein, to which the inquiry had been confined.

But the object of the researches undertaken by an agricultural society should be, at least for the present, directed to the exact determination of the percentages of those bodies only which go to make up the chief products of the dairy, cheese and butter, leaving the questions of the proportion and nutritive value of the other constituents of milk to future research.

Accordingly, the examinations of the undersigned were, at the fair of 1884, confined, as in 1880, to the determining quantitatively of the cardinal proximate principles named above.

Instead, however, of seeking, as formerly, to take as the standard of each breed the milk of the cow of that breed which had won the highest prize, the milk of more than one prize cow in each breed was taken when practicable. The names of the animals, and the full addresses of their owners, are appended to the table of analyses.

The undersigned, agreeably to the arrangement which had proved satisfactory on the previous occasion, associated with him Mr. Isaac M. Simonin as chemical expert, who gave the examinations due attention until they were completed. They were begun immediately after the milking. They were conducted according to the best methods and with scrupulous regard to accuracy. The results are presented as fully entitled to confi dence. As in 1880, each cow was milked by the regular attendant, the en

tire evening milk was weighed, stirred to render it homogeneous, and a portion taken; this was mingled with an equal portion from another prize cow of the same breed, and the mixture at once subjected to analysis. The following table of results has been prepared for publication by Mr, Simonin :

I. Milk of cow "Starlight," five years old, owned by J. B. Longnecker. Union Deposit, Pa., first premium, and of cow "Rose of Baltimore, 5th," ten years old, owned by William Jones, South Montrose, Pa.

II. Milk of cow" Vogeltie," five years old, calved February 6, first premium, owned by Roberts, Durnall & Hicks, and cow "Tjilling 2d," two years old, calved February 10, first premium, same owners.

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III. Milk of cow" Violet 2d," four years old, second premium, owned by William Fairweather, McLean, Pa., and of cow Vinnie," eight years old, second premium, owned by William Lindsay, Elizabeth, N. J.

IV. Milk from cow "Sturdy Dame," three years, second premium, owned by Joshua W. Lippincott, Philadelphia.*

V. Milk from "Lady Emily Foley," seven years three months old, calved February, 1884, first premium, owned by Henry Palmer, Avondale, Pa., and cow "Lady Ovit," three years old, first premium, owned by A. J. Cassatt, Berwyn, Pa.

The following is the order in which the breeds stand according to the above table: Specific gravity-first, Devons; second, Holsteins; third, Ayrshires fourth, Jerseys; fifth, Guernseys. Taken alone, the density of milk affords but a loose approximation to its value, for, while in general, the greater the amount of solid matter, the higher the density; on the other hand, the larger the quantity of butter fat, the less the specific gravity. For cheese-first, Devons; second, Ayrshires; third, Holsteins; fourth, Guern. seys; fifth, Jerseys. For butter-first, Jerseys; second, Guernseys; third, Holsteins; fourth, Devons; fifth, Ayrshires.

Although any attempt to draw final conclusions from the experiments made at only two exhibitions would be premature, yet a comparison between them will not be destitute of interest.

*Application for the milk of prize winners belonging to other exhibitors in this breed was refused by their dairymen in charge.

Dr. KENNEDY. Permit me to add, Mr. President, that in the report just read, we have not disregarded the criticism made on our former report, viz: That however perfect a cow may be as a type of a breed, the milk of one cow can scarcely be considered as sufficient indication of the character of the milk of her breed. That even if we take the milk of a cow of a breed, the cow winning the first premium, that the milk of that cow is not, in the judgment of some writers, a full and complete type of the milk of the breed.

Now, in order to remove the cause of these criticisms, we took the milk of the first and second prize cow, as far as we could get it. The milk was drawn by the attendant of the animal, generally under the inspection of the owner or exhibitor. Then we mingled with that of the first prize cow of the breed that of the second prize cow of that breed, and from this mixture a quantity was taken for analysis, of course being first thoroughly stirred. A suggestion was made that we take the milk of all the cows of a breed on exhibition; but gentlemen will see that, if not impracticable, it is not a fairer test than to take the milk of the prize cows.

Colonel TAGGART. Did you take the same quantity of milk in each case? Dr. KENNEDY. Yes; the same quantity of milk in each case.

Colonel TAGGART. Then I can very easily follow this out. I think you took all the milk of one or two cows.

Dr. KENNEDY. I got all the milk, of course, and stirred it, and took a quantity for analysis, after the mixing.

Colonel TAGGART. The same quantity from each?

Dr. KENNEDY. The same quantity from each; yes, sir.
Colonel TAGGART. That is fair.

Dr. KENNEDY. It may be interesting for me to note one fact, that in every case of the three heads mentioned-that is, in specific gravity, in the amount of butter, and in the amount of cheese-in every breed there was an increase-that during the four years there has been an improvement in the character of the product in all of the breeds exhibited by our Society.

Colonel TAGGART. Your experiments may have been more thorough. Dr. KENNEDY. So far as they went, the most scrupulous care was taken both years, and the results may be relied upon. Butter-makers differ in regard to the value of the specific gravity test, but I think it is a test that is always made; they differ in regard to the value of it, because, as every man sees here, butter fat

Colonel TAGGART (interposing.) The more oil, the less the specific gravity. The more water, the heavier the specific gravity.

Dr. KENNEDY. In order to remove the difficulties which arise from postponing the publication of this report until next year, I will probably hand it to one of the agricultural papers, and send a copy of that paper to each member of the Executive Committee. The object of discussing it here is to draw out such men as Colonel Taggart, and have their views, and, perhaps, have the matter perfected more thoroughly than it otherwise can be. The PRESIDENT. Would it be the pleasure of the Board for these reports to go out as a part of the proceedings of the Society?

Colonel TAGGART. When will this report be out?

Dr. KENNEDY. If in the regular order, not until next year.

Colonel TAGGART. I move that the Doctor have permission to publish it. The motion was seconded by Mr. HIESTER, and agreed to.

Dr. KENNEDY. I want to show an improvement in the creamometer— what appears to be an improvement, at any rate. The creamometer as used in creameries is merely a glass tube, cylindrical in shape, closed at one end.

At other times they use a glass tube, which is graduated, and they determine the percentage of cream by the number of degrees of this glass tube occupied by the cream. But, as everybody who has experimented with these says they are a great tax on the patience, it takes some time before you can get what you want. Now, the creamometer which I shall exhibit is called a displacement creamometer; and it acts by displacing the cream through the introduction of a heavier liquid than the watery particles of the milk. The cream rises, as everybody here knows, because of the difference in the specific gravities of the watery particles and the fatty particles. If you can increase the density of the watery particles, of course you cause a more rapid rise of the cream. I will show you how it is constructed, and will then explain the principle. You will not understand that this instrument was used in connection with

our own experiments just reported. Ours were more complete, this being for a hurried examination, if you can apply that term. Any stand can be used for the purpose. An ordinary lamp-stand, such as is used in a laboratory, will do as well as anything else. (The Doctor then proceeded to arrange the apparatus, and, having completed it, said:) The difference between this tabe and the tubes ordinarily employed for this purpose consists, as you will see, in its having a stop-cock below. It is graduated and can be suspended any way you see proper as a burette. This funnel (indicating) can be substituted by any other convenient arrangement. You observe that the object is to introduce the heavy liquid that is used at the bottom. Now you observe that, by putting this funnel in place, (placing it,) I shall be able to illustrate very readily how the displacement creamometer works. This rubber tube (indicating) is attached at the bottom of this glass tube. The plug of the cock is introduced there, (indicating,) and communication is of course kept up between the contents of the funnel. You introduce into this burette, as it is termed, fifty measures of the milk to be examined. This tube is graduated into one hundred divisions. We then introduce here (pointing) the liquid, which is heavier than water. Now, every farmer knows that salt and water are heavy enough to bring up fat out of a liquid, and yet there are substances which, in solution, are heavier than salt, as, for instance, a substance which is made by acting upon lime with muriatic acid, and called chloride of calcium. We have fifty measures here, and we introduce into this funnel a solution of common salt, or the other salt which I have mentioned, or, better, the solution is introduced here first (indicating the funnel); that fills the funnel and rubber tube— this tube up to the stop-cock. We then introduce the fifty measures of milk and turn the cock. The liquid mingles with the watery particles of the milk, and makes them specifically heavier, very much heavier than they are naturally,—and, therefore, increases the difference between the specific gravity of that milk and the fatty matter. Consequently, that displaces the fatty matter, and hence it is given the name. We have usually enough to make a hundred measures; by thus driving it up, the cream collects at the top much more readily than when allowed to do so spontaneously-by the method used by the creameries. It is hoped that, by using a very concentrated solution, this instrument can be employed at the depot in the city where the milk arrives, and be employed by both parties. In New Jersey, the milk arriving in Camden is inspected to determine the richness. of the milk, and also whether it has been tampered with.

I have just one other matter, gentlemen, to trouble you with, and then I shall be done. You are all very well aware of the necessity of changing our agriculture in the Eastern States; and with many persons who are present I presume the proper change is in the direction of fruit. Now the

difficulty, of course, that obtains in the direction of fruit is found in the necessity of repelling the attacks of insects; and the plan is now being tested, on the other side of the ocean, of killing insects on fruit trees and vines by applying an insecticide to the root. I presume we may introduce an insecticide in the same way that some introduce medicine-with the food. That is to say, you take a glass of wine and have some medicine in it and I have seen chalybeate bread which contained a quantity of iron. The experiment in France is to introduce in the fertilizer an insecticide; and they propose to get an insecticide from poisonous plants, including tobacco. But the insecticide which has certainly done the most to arrest the ravages of the phylloxera-which insect, as you very well know, has destroyed a large portion of the vineyards of France-that insecticide is a liquid with which perhaps many of you are familiar, and others not so familiar; and is applied, as I endeavored to tell you in the last volume of our transactions, by a drill. There is a vessel on the drill containing the liquid. A pipe runs down just behind the shoe, and it is regulated pretty much the same as the seed is regulated. It has been so successful in ridding the ground of all pests, that the French government has taken it up; the railroads have also taken it up, and transport the liquid and the machines free; and it is regarded as the only remedy thus far which can be applied to the roots to kill the insects. I have a bottle of it here, so that those not familiar with it may become so by inspection. It is very familiar, I know, to some gentlemen present, as much so as to myself. liquid they use is a substance that used to be called "sulpho-carbonic acid." It is now called "carbon disulphide," but on the label it is called the "bisulphide of carbon." It is a liquid which is very combustible. Mr. Landreth will probably explain experiments with coal-oil as an insecticide.

Mr. LANDRETH. The gentleman will include that subject.

The

Dr. KENNEDY. I might add that the introduction is attended with considerable risk. (In illustration, he then lights some of it.) You perceive now we have the odor of burnt brimstone, and this substance is used for the purpose that burnt brimstone is used for-that is, to disinfect.

But I have occupied your attention too long to-night. I am very much obliged to you for your forbearance.

The PRESIDENT. What is the next thing in order?

Mr. LANDRETH. I have used "carbon disulphide," the last few years, very extensively, somewhere upwards of a year, for the purpose of killing weevil in grain or seeds of any kind-taking wheat, for instance, and placing it in an air-tight room, and we accomplish our purpose by the fumes under the grain. You can, by the proper application of the material-and not a very large quantity, either-kill every insect and germ of insect that may be in the grain-wheat, corn, or products of similar sort. Thus I use it upon our peas and beans. It so happens that peas grown in most sections of the United States are subject to the attacks of the weevil, which, in the fly state, alights upon the pod, penetrating it, and into the pea. Taking refuge there for two or three months, until after the pea is thoroughly ripe, it comes out in the larva the following spring, or when there is sufficient heat. By taking these pods of peas or beans, or whatever they may be, and subjecting them to this material, these insects are entirely killed.

Mr. BRANSON. Is it burnt in the room?

Mr. LANDRETH. No, sir; you just let it evaporate.

Mr. HIESTER. By applying this to the root of the tree can you kill such insects as the peach borer?