The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-01-18

AT the meeting Of the farmers Of the
Eastern Pennsylvania Experimental Farm,
Il West Grove, on the 26th ult, the event,
although lacking IN numbers on account Of
the snow storm, was Of the most interesting
character, rendered 50 BY the presence Of
two members Of the Chester Milk Factory,
one Of which read an article relating to
milk dairies, butter making and milk fac
tories generally. From this article We are
enabled to make few extracts, or other
wise speaking, give its substance in a
condensed way, as follows
The factory is located on the Octoraro
Creek, about two miles west Of Oxford,
and is conducted on the cooperative basis.
The company was under act Of Assembly
incorporated on the 18th Of June, 1872.
The capital stock Of the enterprise IS sl0,-
900, with the privilege Of increasing it to
$4,000. The whole amount Of stock
subscribed and paid for at present is 20
shares, at $50 each.
About $1,000 is necessary for a salts
factory working capital II viii require
about 81 800 worth Of additional stock to
be subscribed to complete all the improve
ments necessary and to make the working
capital amply sufficient.
The cost Of the real estate, including the
factory building, water-power, boiler, ice
house, and about two acres of land, was
$500, of which $4,000 was paid with the
bonds of the Company, payable in ten
years, and $500 in stock. The power
consists of a ffteen-and-a-quarter-inch
isefell turbine wheel, under an eighteen
feet head and fall, estimated at thirteen.
horse power penstock and gearing for the
same nearly new.
The building was formerly used as a
cotton factory, but seems almost as well
adapted to the present purposes as though
ithad been especially designed for the same.
1t is 80 by 40 feet, four stories high, and
covered with shingles. It is used as fol
lows The basement, or first story, built
Of stone and partly under ground, is used
for spring-house, and for churning, work.
ing and printing butter. There is in it a
force pump to elevate water for use in the
upper stories; and in one corner, enclosed
within brick walls, is seven-horse uprigh,
tubular boiler, that cost 1915, used fol
heating water in various places, also fol
heating the building by steam pipes, which
it is reported to do quite satisfactorily.
The ground floor ofthe spring-house wa.
first prepared with clay, and puddled
around near the walls, and che clay cover
ed with sand and bricks laid thereon; the
bricks near the walls were bedded in &C.
ment, as were also those which make the
division walls to walk upon, and form
troughs to insure complete circulation Of
the water. 1t is amply supplied with water
from well just outside the walls, by q
pump worked by small water-wheel
turned by water conveyed in pipe from
the large forebay. Six thousand gallons
per day are reported to have been pumped
during the summer.
The second, third and fourth stories ar,
brick. The second is used for receiving
the milk and for manufacturing ice cream
1t is also used for the manufacture of sau
sage during the winter season. The third
story is designed to contain the cheese vats
and fixtures, cheese presses, &c. The
fourth story is used for drying and storing
cheese.
The ice house is attached to the main
building, and is 80 feet square by 16 feet
high, built of stone and lined with pine
boards on the inside, filed between the
boards and wall with sawdust, and covered
with shingle roof Adjoining the ice
house they have pond Of still water, fed
from the forebay, from which to procure a
supply of ice without the labor and expense
of hauling. To economic space they use
rectangular milk pan, IL by "a inches,
and 6 inches deep, said to hold, when full,
"a gallons. They think that they can set
about twice asmuch milk in the same space
with these pans, as they can with the or
binary round ones. In these pans, the
spring-house il estimated to hold the milk
of over 1000 cows. The institution is vet
in its infancy, and the ftting-up Of the
buildings not yet completed; but some days
during the latter part of summer, they
made as much as 300 quarts of ice cream.
AT the present time they are receiving the
milk of $50 cows. After the commence.
ment Of the new year they expect to have
the milk Of 100 COWS, and in the spring Of
over 400. Many of these cows, at this
time, are not flush of milk, but for the
present month they expect to sell from 800
to 1000 pounds Of butter, $50 quarts Of
plain cream, and about 5000 quarts Of
skinned milk.
The design of the institution appears to
be to purchase for cash the milk from the
producers Of the vicinity, and manufacture
ice cream and cheese. Or butter, and sell
the skim milk, as may pay the best at the
time.
It has been demonstrated that the haul
ing Of the milk degenerates the quantity
and quality Of the cream, still at Hopewell
the managers report that they receive a
very satisfactory average after the trans
portation. They report pound of butter
from each thirteen quarts of milk skinned
at "A hours, for last month. The work
ines Of the affair are in every particular