Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-04-17
FACTORY cHEEsE-MAKiNG.
ny L. n ARNOLD.

with respect TO cheese, no Such question
is now raised. Factories have the prefer
ence over dairies, first in the purchase OF
supplies by wholesale, and also in the cost OF
machinery for manufacturing second in the
labor Of making. which is now reduced to
minimum aud is advantageous to the farm
er for relieving his family OF serious
burden, which generally fell upon the women
folks, who we're hardly able to endure it,
For the labor OF twenty-five hands or more,
lone Of each family, at the dairy, there
is substituted three or four at the fac
tory Another equal advantage lies in the
ecohomy and application Of skill. There
are always some hands in every branch Of
manufacturing who outstrip their fellows in
their respective arts. The labors Of such
workmen are of great worth in any calling,
by reason of the increased value they give
to the productions Of their respective arts,
above that Of ordinary workmen. Facto-
res can avail themselves Of this superior
skill /; iu families ii would be impossible.
The best workmeu are but few 10 number.
Their number is altogether inadequate to
supplying families, and the high price of
their skill would drive it out Of nearly every
private dairy. To pay the skilled workman
$50 to 500 per month in dairy Of 30 to
40 COWS would eat up all the profit, and
considerable share Of the gross proceeds.
Cheaper help must be employed in them,
aud, consequently, poorer goods turned out
in the great majority oi cases. Skill which
would enhance the price Of cheese from the
milk Of 500 to 1000 cows one cent pound,
could well afford to be purchased at 500
per month, and leave u large margin for
profit. The advantage gained by the appli-
cation of skilled labor is generally enough
to pay the whole cost oi manufacturing.
These advantages have proved sufficient
cause for factories supplementing private
daries to very large extent, and almost
checking dairics. The extension Of
cheese-dairyng is now made almost
entirely under the associated system. 1t
Is "a rare occurrence that new private dai-
ry is set up. Besides adaptation to the re-
quircments of the markets in which it is to
be sold its greater uniformity in style aud
quality above that in dariss, makes it more
desirable TO handle and to purchase. The
inequality in style and texture in dairies is
very great, aud is a serious obstacle in mar
keting. Such Heterogeneous mass Of goods
as any considerable accumulation Of dairy
cheese must be, would spoil it for any mar
ket requiring uniform quality. Its market
value must at least be depressed
The advantage of having the skill of a
single individual extended to the milk Of a
whole heighborhood, instead Of single
dairy, has justly been regarded as of suff.
cient Importance to make the factory pref
erable to the single dairy, and to ensure its
adoption in nearly all the cheese-producing
districts. 1t has subverted old established
customs, and swelled the dairy industry into
extensive proportions. But, great as have
been the results Of this economy Of skill, IL
is now steadily growing Into wider appli-
cation. The skilled superintendent now
often presides over several factories instead
of one A half dozen factories are often
placed under the control Of one man, to
share his superior ability In one instance,
thirteen were successfully managed by one
superintendent, giving the benefit Of his
skill to the milk Of several thousand COWS.
Such an economy Of the best talent devoted
to the art cannot fail to exert a wide effect
in giving aud high quality to a
large extent. Under such a system, the
manual lab can be performed by cheaper
hands thus reducing the cost OF manuiac-
turing, while the grade Of the products is
enhanced (; the skill of the master hand il
communicated systematically to many others
and the general standard Of merit advanced
There are some objections TO the present
factory practice, which make considerable
offset to its advantages. One Of these IL
the time and labor required to convey the
milk from the farm to the factory. This
amounts to about fifty cents per COW, fol
each mile the milk is transported. A sec
oud objection is the injury done to the milE
by con6nng il in close vessels while in tran
sit The increase OF foul odor that accu
mulates in milk in hot weather 10 it's journey
to the factory amounts to a serious item
The cheese from milk in which such odori
have been allowed to accumulate is injured
in flavor, and decays prematurely. Thl
objection might be easily done away with Il
the milk was properly handled by the farm
ers. A third objection arises in the dispos
al of the whey. 1t has proved somewha
: difficult to get it away from the factory
without more or less befouling the atmos
phere of the premises, to the injury OF th'
milk aud cheese. But the greatest objec
tion is the difficulty of making just ant
equal division Of the manufactured goods
5 by reason OF inequality in the value OF I
given weight or measure Of milk. Th
milk of different herds varies consderabl,
ia value according to the feed and treat
ment they receive. A herd piDched TO
> food, or drink, gives milk greatly inferior t,
$ one we'll supplied. In examining the mill
of eight different patrons Of the same tac
, tory, where no material difference was sup
posed to exist in the milk, we found tn
dried curd in the poorest aud best to stand il
the relation of g. 5 to 8. 3. The former re
T quired 1925 lbs Of milk for one Of cheese
4 the latter a little less than g. Greater in
equalties exist, doubtless, in the herds o
many factories, aud in others probably less
They are seldom equal. or 30 nearly equa
5 as to make just, or even satisfactory divls
ion Of proceeds, if the facts were fully ap
precated, This objection is not rremedi
able. A more just apportionment can b
made, and it will be made when farmer
come to have better understanding of tn
e facts. In the extremes above named, tn
sample that yielded q. per cent. Of dre
. curd was worth only 78 per cent of tn
better sample But while individuals los
a something of their just due, the public gai
3 largely by the factory system.
Construction of FaotOriss,
9 In the earlier days of associated diaries
p factories were built aud run chiefly by joint
n stock companies, and probably more tha
= half of the factories are operated on thi
# plan at the present time. The stockholder
= are made up for the most part Of the farm
o ers who intend TO patronze the factory, an
r the stock subscribed generally in prOportio
II 10 the milk each expects to furnish. FrOI
u the numerous interests involved in the COZ
O Germ a nnnd deal of diaa nraalnnnt and diff