13
HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION
Bureau of Markets at O.A.C.
Using the Babcock Test
A bureau o( markota is the latest
step toward efficiency in the School
of Commerce of the Oregon Agricul
tural Collego. The work of this new
bureau, which should find a hearty
welcome from farmers' organisations
in the state, is outlined in the fol
lowing article by J. A. Beiell, Dean
of the School of Commerce at 0. A.
C. Editor.
A C Editor. 8
(Special to the Farm Magazine.)
A BUREAU of farm market and
organization designed to se
cure greater efficiency in mar
keting farm products and improved
social service, has recently been
added as a sub-division of rural eco
nomics in the farmers' business
courses conducted by the school of
commerce of the Oregon Agricul
tural College. The scope and ac
tivities of this newly created bureau
J. A. Bexell, Dean of the School of
Commerce, O. A. C, Who Con
tributes the Accompanying Article.
of markets may be gathered from
the following statement of Dr. Mac-
Pherson, of whose department the
bureau will be a part:
1. The bureau is arranging with
the farmers' organizations already
existing in the state for the fullest
co-operation in order to secure great
er efficiency in marketing and social
service.
2. The1 bureau will co-operate
directly with any group of farmers
In the state to assist them in form
ing such associations as are best
adapted to meet the busn5?s needs
of their locality. It will- furnish ex
pert advice, based on a survey of
the neighborhood, as to the kind of
association needed. Through its field
expert it will enable the farmers to
perfect their organization with a
minimum of friction and expense. It
will assist newly organized societies
In establishing efficient accounting
systems. Societies furnishing the
bureau with monthly statements of
their business will be entitled to free
audit and expert advice.
Co-operation.
3. The bureau will co-operate
with the farmers' organizations and
associations of consumers in assist
ing them to make the most effective
use of their marketing possibilities
of the parcel post.
4. The bureau will make a col
lection of all the laws obtainable
relative to marketing co-operations
and agriculture In general. Through
this information the 'Agricultural
College will be in a position as never
before to co-operate effectively with
the legislative committees of farm
ers' organizations in securing the
best laws for the state.
5, There will also be collected
and filed In the bureau blue prints
of typical plants such as creameries,
cheese factories, canneries, dryers,
flour and feed mills, etc. Along with
these will be collected catalogues of
business houses dealing in supplies
for such plants, with the prices for
which such equipment is obtainable.
From this information the bureau
will be able to supply estimates as to
the lowest cost of building and
equipping plants for various associations.
will co-operate In carrying out a sys
tem of surveys of the state, which
will supply accurate data regarding
commodities produced and the effi
ciency of the systems by which
such comomdltlea are marketed In
every county in the state.
Publicity Campaign.
7. Through experiment stations
and extension bulletins, press notices
and extension lectures, the bureau
contemplates a systematic publicity
campaign on the whole subject of
marketing and rural credits, includ
ing the function of organization,
standardization of products, packing,
shipping, etc.
The school of commerce was the
pioneer In correspondence instruc
tion at the college. For four or five
years it has offered three courses
in business methods known collect
ively as the "Farmers' Business
Course," which consists of the fol
lowing courses: First, farm account
ing; second, rural law, and third,
rural economics. These courses are
offered to students of Oregon with
out tuition.
A course of the greatest practical
value to farmers is that of co-operative
accounting and management,
and there are few it any similar
courses carried by other schools of
commerce in our whole country. It
covers the business management of'
co-operative societies, including or
ganization of employees, structure
building, office equipment and ar
rangement, correspondence and fil
ing, book keeping and cost account
ing adapted to different co-operative
associations such as creamery and
cow testing associations, auditing
and financing, advertising and mar
keting, depreciation, membership
meetings, annual reports and statis
tical analysis of operations.
Growth of Commercial Courses.
Commercial courses in the Ore
gon Agricultural College were estab
lished 47 years ago. At that time
one course was offered in political
economy, one in political science and
one in accounting. The demand for
commercial training has grown
steadily since that date, until now it
is organized as a separate school,
comprising the departments of busi
ness administration, political econ
omy, political science and stenog
raphy and office training. The de
gree bachelor of science and com
merce has been awarded since 1900
to students who have completed four
years of work. One hundred and
seventeen students have been gradu
ated with this degree.
The activities of the school fall
under three different divisions the
resident instructional work, the cor
respondence instructional work and
the investigational work in rural
economics, of which the markets
bureau is a part.
A fair idea of the extent of the
instructional work may be had from
a consideration of the following
figures: In 1912 and 1913 there
were 1,702 students received instruc
tion in the school of commerce,
counting a student for each course
in which he was registered. Seven
hundred and sixty of these were
enrolled In other departments and
942 were regular students. As early
as October 3 this year 1,044 had
registered, which would Indicate that
the total class registration would be
not less than 2,500.
School Recognized.
The work of the school of com
merce Is now recognized by the high
est authorities on commercial edu
cation. In a recent report of the
Educational Committee of the Amer
ican Association of Publlo Account
ants on one hundred of the leading
commercial schools in - the United
States, we are ranked with ten
schools giving the most complete
courses in commerce. The schools
are as follows:
1. Columbia University.
2. New York University.
3. Northwestern University.
4. Oregon Agricultural College
5. Saint Louis University.
6. University of California.
7. University of Denver.
8. University of Illinois.
9. University of Pennsylvania.
10. University of Pittsburg.
EFOUE 1890, when the Babcock
test was invented, no simple,
accurate method was known by
which the farmer could measure the
richness of the milk or cream which
he sold, or the milk or cream which
remained. At creameries and cheese
factories each patron was paid in
proportion to the weight of milk de
livered. It was then commonly be
lieved that 100 pounds of milk from
one cow would make as much
butter or cheese as an equal weight
of milk from any other cow. Cows
were valued according to the num
ber of pounds of milk they pro
duced. Proving a Cow's Value.
The relative value of different
cows in a herd Is now determined
by weighing and testing the milk of
each. Many cows produce a profit
of from $25 to $50 or more per
year, but in almost every herd test
ed some "robber" cows are found
whose milk does not pay for the
feed consumed by them. By replac
ing the poorest cows with better
ones, the herd will be improved.
Although there is only about one-
eighth as much fat in separator
skim milk as in milk skimmed from
crocks or shallow pans, It should
be tested for fat frequently to see
if the separator is sklmimng as
closely as it should. Ordinarily sep
arator skim milk tests about five
hundredths (.05) of 1 per cent, but
if, by running the separator too
slowly or separating the milk when
too cold or for other reasons, the
skim milk should contain .15 per
cent or more fat, the loss may
amount to $1 or $2 per cow per
year. This amount of money will
more than pay for the entire ex
pense of installing and operating a
Babcock test. Although the fat in
the skim milk Is not wasted when
fed to pigs or calves, yet It is much
more profitable to sell butter fat as
cream or butter than it Is to make
veal or pork out of it
Weeding Out the Bobbers.
The dairyman who buys and uses
a Babcock tester will soon find that
he Is aided in three ways: First,
by testing his cows he will be able
to weed out the "robbers' and re
tain his best producers for breeding
and milk and butter fat production.
Second, by frequently testing the
milk or cream before It is sold he
should have a check upon the test
made at the factory. Third, by oc
casionally testing the skim milk he
will be able to see that no butter
fat Is being wasted.
On many dairy farms the Babcock
test Is saving annually many times
its cost, and at the same time is en
abling farmers to select their best
cows and Improve their herds as
rapidly as possible. A Babcock
tester should be used regularly on
every dairy farm and in every rural
school In the country.
Value of Testing Cows.
Cow-testing Is of great import
ance. Anyone who Knows now 10
handle the Babcock test can success
fully test the cows In the home herd.
Thousands of dairy farmers are now
among educators, bnt there Is an in
creasing demand for our graduates
in positions of responsibility. One of
our last year's graduates was recent
ly appointed business agent on one
of the state farms of Kansas at a
salary of $1,600 and perquisites.
KING OF THE WOODS DRAG SAW
With or Without Buzz Saw Attachment
Will saw 20
to 40 cords oi wood per day at a cost of f gjiln sVt-l n a
LLS ITSELF up the steepest HILL and I
hest ground. Costs lew than other makes, I 1 I I
rites he sawed 56 ricks in 10 hours. Ifj VJ
ed 40 cords in 9 hours. There. - Q V
$1.00. PULLS
over the roughest
One man write
Another sawed 1
more you ought to know. Write (or FREE cat
alog containing full description with testimonials
from enthusiastic users. WK1 1 1. I tJLAT.
teatine their own cows, or hava
Joined cow-testing associations In ot
der to have the work done ror mem,
at a cost of about $1 a year, for
each cow in the herd. Very few
dairymen who have had their cowl
tested for a year or mora are will
ing to discontinue the wort 1 or oy
this testing the owner knows th
weight of the milk and of butter fat
produced by each cow. This en
ables him at the end of the season
to pick out his most profitable cows,
whose calves should be kept to Im
prove the herd, and also to know
which are the poorest cows In tha
herd which Bhould be replaced, be
cause in very many cases they do
not pay for their feed.
Weighing the Milk.
For cow-testing it is necessary to
weigh and test the night's and
morning's milk of each cow once in
each month. This is the plan fol
lowed by most cow-testing associa
tions, and It Is also suitaDie ior
farmers who do their own testing.
In addition to the Babcock test out
fit, a milk scale is needed. After
buying the milk scale and using It
a few times, many find it so little
work that they prefer to weigh the
milk every day, although the test
ing is done only one day in eacn
month. The daily weighing or mil
enables the owner (1) to feed each
cow In the most economical way ac
cording to her flow of milk and to
observe how the flow of each cow
is affected by changes of feed or
other conditions; (2) to quickly de
tect any sudden decrease in milk
flow, which may indicate Illness, and
to give prompt treatment to such
cases; (3) by comparison of one
day's milk flow with another, the
owner can be sure that the milk
used once a month for fat testing is
normal in quality (4) daily weigh
ing of the milk shows which milker
is doing the best work.
If the milk is weighed dally the
total weight of each cow's milk at
the end of the month is obtained
by adding up the dally weights. If
the milk is weighed only on one day
in the month this weight is multi
plied by 30 or the actual number of
days in the month to got the total
weight for the month. To get the
weight of butter fat produced each
month, the weight of the month's
milk is multiplied by the per cent
of butter fat which it contains,
found by campling and testing each
cow's milk for fat. J. Samlus In
the California Farmer.
from a tank that Is
bound to get foul,
when it costs but 5c
a thousand rations
(or pure witer"direct
from well" with the
PFAU
Pneumatic
Water System I
The Pfso pump goes direct Into wen
and supplies constant never-failing
frame. Jul like drawing witei tan
a bobbllni iprint. Poibard andaott watcf.
Mo battel lam fire protection knows
UltUI) tnmuti.
Free Catalog
Toon tor the aiklof. Will nn call for h,
-a shall we null U to roof Letoakoovaew
THOS. J. BOSS
80 E. Morrison Street
Portland, Oregon.
m ri T." ' -ST
X
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6, All departments of the college
Not only Is our work recognized