Everyday Life

The men behind the butterfat test. Left: Portrait of Stephen Moulton Babcock, 1890-1899. Courtesy of the University of Wisconsin Archives. Right: Portrait of F.G. Short, 1890-1899. Courtesy of the University of Wisconsin Archives.

Related Stories / Region 7 - South Center / Madison / Babcock Butterfat Tester / Dane County / Food & Cooking / Manufacturing & Trade / 1880-1900 / Science & Medicine / Education

The Men Behind the Butterfat Test

The “Real” InventorAlthough Stephen M. Babcock has been immortalized for his work on the butterfat test that received his name, it was not really his idea. The Babcock test was originally conceived by the forgotten man of the dairy industry, Frederick Garland Short. Short,…

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December 1, 2013

A woman runs the milking operation at the G.L. Hamon dairy farm, Juda, Wisconsin, circa 1929. Image courtesy of Wisconsin Historical Society, image ID 24439.

Related Stories / Babcock Butterfat Tester / Manufacturing & Trade / Food & Cooking / 1860-1880

Becoming the Dairy State

The Decline of WheatFrom 1840 to 1880, Wisconsin produced about one-sixth of the nation’s wheat. But soil depletion, insect infestations, plant disease and competition from other states lowered Wisconsin yields and eroded profits. By 1880, wheat supremacy had passed westward to Minnesota…

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December 1, 2013