Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-05-18
NO. IT..
farn1, field and 9irtside,
STARTING A CHEESE FACTORY.

o0i VI luC NoW LuDiduu dImcE, dSAluS
how to start cheese factory, Mr.. E. j.
B., of Buffalo, sends the following letter
upon the subject, written by Mr.. I. ID.
Curtis to the Syracuse Standard:
SIZE OF FACToRY.-Small or medium
sized factories now seem to be in order
People do not like to carry milk long dis
tances, and this fact undoubtedly accounts
for the tendency to small factories, con-
veniently located. We will give the size
of a building suitable for dairy of three
hundred to four hundred COWS. Let it be
eighty by twenty-six feet, with sixteen
foot posts and two floors. From one end
of the lower story take twenty-four feet
for make room, leaving the remainder
for curing room. Should more than one
vat be used, the make room will need to
be about six feet larger one way. 1t may
be made SO by taking the space off from
the curing room, or by putting a projec-
ton on the side. The upper story will be
used for curing, but should be partitioned
off the same as the lower story. The room
over the make room should be lathed and
plastered, and provided with heating ap-
paratus, SO as to make a suitable place for
curing early and late made cheese. The
building may be cheap or expensive, as
desired
IHE WALLS.-lt is now considered de-
sirable to batten the outside and cell up
the inside, thus making double wall with
an air space between. This enables the
factoryman to control the temperature of
the room better. Ii the windows are hung
in the middle SO that the top can be swung
out OF in, as the bottom swings in the OPP
posite direction, it will be found great
convenience Provision should be made
for good ventilation. Stove-pipe or some
other kind Of tubing should be used to car
ry the foul air from the lower room up
through the upper room, instead of being
allowed to diffuse itself all through the
building OF course the bottom of the
pipes only have to be inserted in hole
through the ceiling and then carried up
through the roof.
RANGES OR ES.-Either setter and
ranges, or the old style tables, may be
used. The latter, since small-sized cheeses
have come in fashion, are the more COM
mon. They are quite as cheap and con-
venient, and by using them factorymen
avoid the annoyance consequent upon the
pretended patent right which is. claimed
on the rails and turner's. But where two
rows of benches are put side by side, as is
usually the case, there should be space
enough left between them for the hand to
enter in cleaning them.
HEATING APPARATUs.-We shall not re-
commend any particular style of vat, since
by doing SO we should seem to condemn
others. But we will mention the fact that
for small factories. watts with self-heaters
are preferable and the moro economical.
A self-heater can be set up and run any
where, with piece of stove pipe to con-
duct off the smoke, and the expense of
boilers, mason-work, &C., is avoided.
Five or six cords of maple stove wood,
split and well seasoned, will run good
self-heater through the season. Oh late
steam has grown greatly in favor, both be-
cause of its greater convenience and its
greater cleanliness. Dry steam is the
usual mode of applying heat. A good deal
has been said against steam in this form
for cheese making, but Justice does not
seem to justify the arguments. Many OF
the very best tactores-thoSe that get
big yield and excel in quality-use dry
steam. Besides, steam affords motor
power, which is useful in various ways.
PRESSES AND HoOPs.-The appearance
of dairy depends very much on the true
ness, as well as uniformity in height, of
the cheeses. Good presses and hoops are
therefore essential, and save great deal
of trouble as we'll as give great deal OF
satisfaction. We would not recommend
anything but the Frazer gang press. which
costs but little more than the old style,
while it saves vast amount OF labor,
presses truer, and gives much better salts
faction every way. After two years OBJ
servation of It's operations, We do not hesi-
tate to say that any man who builds new
factory or replaces the presses and hoops
of an old one, would make a great mis-
take if he did not introduce this press
But for the benefit of such as are preiu-
diced in favor of old styles and old ways,
or against everything new, we give direc-
tions and measurements for building a
strong and durable one. The press needs
to be made heavy and strong, SO as to
avoid springing and warping. Let the sill
be fourteen by four inches; the beam, ten
by six inches; posts, four by fourteen
inches, slanted from the sill upward to ten.
the width of the beam. The sill and beam
should be boxed into the posts three
fourths of an inch, and the posts should
extend above the beam some four inches
or more. The top of the sill should stand
about two feet from the floor. The space
between the sill and beam should be two
ieet four inches.
The lateral space allowed for each hoop
should be two feet; and in each space be-
tween the hoops, the sill and beam should
be held in place by seven-eights inch rods
Of iron. In the first space from either
end, q single rod is sufficient; the next
should have two rods, and SO on alter
nately. The single rod should extend
through the middle of the sill and beam.
and have heavy washers attached to each
end to prevent the head or nut from set
Ting into the wood. The double rods
should go through the edges of the beam
and sill, and through the heavy washers
OF iron on the bottom Of the sill, and
through strong straps extending across
the top beam. The presses should be
made for pressing four or six cheeses, and
be made of hard, seasoned timber. The
screws should be 3-4 inch. OF the
various kinds of screws introalncad we