Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-05-16

DaiIp Kfnnrbtr 3ournal.
Milk i'm Its Condensed Form.
DETAILS OF ITS MANUFACTURE AND SALE.

| To many persons condensed milk has
more or less mystery about it, and few
would probably be, able to explain the
method of manufacturing the sluggish-fow-
ing substance which is daily dipped into
innumerable teacups. and little dab"
of which will 60 MS far in cup of coffee
as several teaspoonfuls of ordinary milk.
w. II. Ireland Howe. president of the
American Condensed Milk Company. has
given some facts about the manufacture
and sale of their condensed milk.
'.For twenty years condensed milk has
been in the Market" said Mr.. Howe
Early in the war it was prepared in
its present form by Gail Borden, and
was largely used in the army. The
| first condensed milk was desiccated, and
is sweetened and put in cans is termed
preserved milk, that which is unsweet-
ened being known as condensed milk.
The latter was at first Immediately accept
ed as a proper article for children's food
and for use in favoring coffee, but was
not liked for general use on account Of its
having cooked taste like that of boiled
milk About 1866 the article was pre-
pared by an improved method of condens-
ing so that the Objectionable flavor was
got rid of, and it at once came into gener-
al favor for ordinary use. The article is
not yet fully appreciated, though it is
growing in popular favor. 1t is preferable
for children's food on account of It's uni
form quality. Our condensing factory is
at Purdv Station. n. Y, on the Harlem
Railroad. We buy the product of 1000
cows, the property of about 100 farmers
for several miles around us, our average
collection being about l0. 900 quarts a day.
The cows are all SO near us that we can
keep an eve on them and prevent the use
of milk from diseased animals. We allow
no brewers grains or starch-factory refuse
to be ted to the cows that supply our
milk. Within twelve hours after milking
the milk is put into large copper vacuum
pans holding about 1000 gallons. The milk
is kept at l20 degrees, which does not alter
its constituent parts or change its flavor,
and it is reduced in quantity about 80 per
cent, the loss being in water. while all the
essential elements are retained. The flu
idty of the milk is by no means an indica-
ton of the degree OF condensation, but
rather indicates the temperature at which
the condensation has been affected, since,
| with the temperature above a certain point,
the albuminous principles in the milk
would be more or less coagulated, which
would cause the milk to thicken. At
present we are paying farmers better
price than they can get in the city. But
we require better quality of milk than
the city dealers. The difference in freight
on condensed milk and other milk nearly
pays the cost OF condensing.
1.-The proportion of milk which is con-
densed for New York consumption" says
Mr.. Howe, -" is about one-tenth. About
100. 900 gals. of ordinary milk come to the
city daily and about 900 gals. OF condens-
ed milk. Our trade is largely wholesale,
the Commissioners of Charities and Cor
rection alone buying 200 gallons day.
As for preserved milk. that is largely used
in the South, in mining districts, for the
army, on shipboard and elsewhere
The manufacture of preserved milk
was confined to this country for
many years. but it is now made
in England and Switzerland, and to large
extent it finds market there as they can
undersell us in spite of q duty of 20 per
cent ad valorem. They can buy sugar
for cents less per pound than we. The
sugar costs US about as much as the milk
at some seasons of the year. Our COM
pany makes about half as much preserved
as condensed milk. The only way yet
found of preserving the former indefinite
ly Is to put it in hermetically sealed tin
cans. This country is the largest produc-
er of this article in the world. The Anglo
Swiss Company has factories in Switzer-
land and England, and now has one in
Orange County,N. Y. As far as know the
preserved milk of commerce is free from
adulteration. In the samples Of condensed
milk analyzed by the Board of Health some
time ago not particle of adulteratian was
found. For tea, coffee and chocolate con-
densed milk should be used undiluted, in
small quantities. 1t may be diluted with
four times as much water as milk tor gen
eral purposes. and for infants it should be
still further diluted"