Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-02-06

L. i. Arnold, in Canada Farmer,
says:
The advantage of having the
skill Of a single individual extended
to the milk Of a whole neighborhood,
instead of single dairy, has justly
been regarded as of sufficient lm-
portance to make the factory pref.
cradle to the single dairy, sand to
secure 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
rs have been the results Of this
economy of skill, it is now steadily
growing into a wider application.
The skilled superintendent now Of
ten presides over several factories
instead ofpne. A half dozen facto-
ries are now often 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 wide effect in
giving evcnness and high quality
to a large extent. Under such q
system, the manual labor can be
performed by cheaper hands, thus
reducing the cost Of manufacturing,
while the grade OF the product is
enhanced; the skill of the master
baud is communicated systematic
ally to many others, and the gener-
al standard Of merit advanced.
There are some objections to the
present factory practice, which
make considerable offset to its
advantages. One Of these is the
time and labor required to convey
the milk from the farm to the facto
ry. This amounts to about fifty
cents per COW for each mile the
milk is transported. A second oh.
lection is the injury done to the
milk by combining it in close vessels
while in transit. The increase Of
foul odor that accumulates in milk
in hot weather in its journey from
the farm to the factory amount to
serious item. The cheese from
milk in which such odors have
been allowed to accumulate. ia in.
jured in flavor, and decays prema-
turely. This objection might be
easily done away with if the milk
was handled properly by the farm.
ers. A third objection arises in the
of the whey. 1t has proved
somewhat difficult to get it away
from the factory without more
or less betouling the atmos-
phere Of the premises, to the
injury of the milk and
cheese. But the greatest OBJ
lection is the difficulty of making
just aud equal division Of the manu-.
featured goods, by reason of ineqnal-
ity in the value Of q given weight,
or measure Of milk. The milk Of
different herdsIvaries considerably
in value, according to the feed and
treatment they receive. A herd
pinched for food or drink gives
milk greatly inferior to one we'll
supplied. In examining the milk
of eight different patrons of the fac.
tory, where 10 material difference
was supposed to exist in the milk
We found the dried curd in the poor
est and best to stand the relation of
6.5 to 8.5. The former required
1925 pounds CT milk for one cheese
and the latter q little less than 8.
inequalities exist doubtless,
in the herds Of many factories, and
in others probably less. They are
seldom equal, or SO nearly equal as
10 make just;or even satisfactory
division ofproceeds, if facts were
fully appreciated.
The objection is not irremediable.
A just apportionment can be made,
and it will be made when farmers
come to have . better understanding /
IF the facts. In the extremes above
named. the sample that yielded 6.S
per cent. of dried curd was worth
only 70 per cent. of the better sam
pie. But while individuals lose
something Of their just due, the
public gain largely by the factory
system.