old milk container/bottles?

[candib]

I found these in the basement of the in laws house.  There's 11 of the bottles that were stuffed inside the brown thing.  Did they go together? Is either worth keeping? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[fancypants]

I'd say that your item of glass labware is a "Babcock test bottle" (AKA 'Gerber test bottle') , which was developed as an easy & low-cost method of determining the amount of fat in milk (milkfat) , in a time when folks didn't have an easy standardized method for doing so , candib .

[candib]

The brown bottle shaped thing seems to be made of cardboard or something along those lines and stands about a foot tall.

[fancypants]

The 'brown item' seems to appear as if it is constructed from rough unbleached paper pulp , such as used for making paper egg cartons and such (@ least it does to me !) .

[mart]

The brown cardboard item is what would have been used to let the milkman know that you wanted Chocolate milk !! This was back when milk was delivered to your door.  You would have set it on the porch or somewhere he could see it,, then he just brought it to the door !! Families usually had a standard order of plain milk so the empty bottles were just exchanged !! Chocolate milk would have been a specialty order !!  It save a lot of steps for the milkman !!

[fancypants]

Cool info , mart ... didn't know that !

When I was a kid , you had to leave a note in the milkbox for various milk items (such as cream , sour cream & etc.) from the milkman ...either that or get up before the chickens to catch the guy on his rounds !

[candib]

Thank you all for the input. My husbands great grandfather used to own a creamery.  So I didn't know if this was maybe something from that era.

[mart]

Most likely it was from his time !!  Each creamery had its own method of ordering !! If you look at the top it says "Order a quart of chocolate flavored milk" !! It was also an order reminder for the lady of the house !!

[KC]

Oh....I remember those days.  The sound of the heavy lid on the milk box slamming shut when the milk man put in the milk before daylight...on the front porch.

This is a neat piece of history that is becoming more and more scare.  People have disposed of these items so easily that it will only become but a memory in a book at some point!

[mart]

Remember Bordens KC ??  Chocolate milk bottles were amber and plain milk (or as they used to say"sweet milk") was clear bottles !!  Little cardboard pull tab to open it !!

[candib]

Upon further research I believe I also have the Burell cast iron centrifuse (not sure I spelled it correctly) that the bottles were tested in. I had no idea that the 2 had anything to do with each other.  The Burrell was in a storage shed outside and the bottles in the basement. I can post pics of the Burrell when I get home if anyone would be able to help me confirm my thoughts.

[mart]

We will sure try to help !!

[candib]

One view

[candib]

Needs cleaned up some but haven't had time yet.

[mart]

Can you tell us what it says on the top ?? Can`t read well sideways !!