The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-06
Requisites Of q Creamery.

Southern Home and Farm.
The requisites of the successful operation or a
creamery. are: First a sufficient number of cows
to supply the cream or milk, and there should
not be less than 100. and from that up to 1000.
but this large number should be in not more
than fifty herds, on account OF the LABOR OF
gathering the cream or receiving the
milk in small quantities from widely
scattered small herds, the distance being
not more than radius OF three miles
from the creamery. Second, good supply OF
spring water, and ice for use in the summer.
Third. sufficient building with ample furniture
and utensils, and properly constructed and nav
ing either permanent water power or steam the
latter being preferable on account or the use OF
bad water and steam for washing the utensils.
Fourth. an expert manager who can make first
quality butter. and strictly honest and upright,
as considerable trust must be reposed In him.
Lastly, a convenient and central location In the
midst of the farms which supply the milk or
cream.
Creameries are worked under two systems
one in which the farmers deliver their milk
twice day as it is MIXED; the other in which
the cream is gathered by the owner Of the cream
cry. The objection to the former method is
that the milk varies in quality so much that it
is impossible to do justice to all those who sup
ply the creamery or to the owner; because some
cows give poor milk and some give rich milk,
and as milk Is paid for by the quantity, it is to
the interest of the farmers to keep cows which
give much milk rather than a small quantity
which is rich in cream. Moreover, the unfor-
tunate disposition of men to be dishonest when
they can make money by it without detec-
ton interferes with this method of
supply because of the temptations to
water the milk. For these reasons the
milk-purchasing method has been abandoned
and the cream is purchased instead. By this
system the farmers are required to keep
deep pals to set their milk in. and of
a certain size, viz: nine inches in diameter. so
that one inch in depth is equal to one pound
of butter. The cream is therefore purchased
by the inch. and is easily measured by means of
graduated scale the side of the pail and a
glass strip through which the cream is visible.
AS soon as the measure is taken the milk is
drawn off through tap in the bottom of the
pail until the cream is nearly at the bottom,
when the cream is taken separately. The price
per inch is regulated by the market price of but
ter. and is fixed monthly. at which time the
cream gathered during the previous month5 is
paid for. This method is found to be salts
factory in general practice
A creamery is either owned by dairyman
who has a large herd of his own and finds it con-
venient to have his neighbors contribute their
cream, or by a person who merely makes the
butter, or by a number of farmers who contrib
ute the funds to build and furnish the
creamery and operate it as a partnership or stock
concern, by association of farmers
who build the creamery, hire the work
men. contribute the milk. and divide the
butter or the proceeds of 1t in proportion to the
quantity Of milk contributed. The last plan has
some manifest objections, which nearly always
lead to disappointment and disaster. and the
ruin of the enterprise. The other methods be-
ing based on strictly feasible business principles
have been successful and thousands Of cream
cries based on these methods are now in profta-
BILE operation. The manner of building. furnish
ing. and operating a creamery must be left for
another article.