The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-10-19
AGRICULTURAL.
The Farm Separator.

by lDe use vi Lue CTbHIn separator u
much more perfect separation of the
cream from the milk may be had than
by any system of setting milk. This is
shown by the increased amount of but
ter made where the separator is used
and also by the amount of butter fat
left in the milk after skimming, as
been found that by no system of gray.
ity Dreaming can all the butter fat be
recovered, and usually, under ordinary
conditions, large percent is lost, while
with the separator very nearly all is re-
covered. Mr.. G. Z. Goodrich discusses
the advantages of the separator in the
bulletin of the United States depart
ment of agriculture upon "Buttermak-
ing Oh the Farm" from which we
take the following:
"The writer has been engaged in the
Farmers institute work in the state of
Wisconsin during each winter for sew
eral years. AT each meeting milk was
tested with the Babcock tester, which
was carried along for that purpose.
Farmers were invited to bring in sam
Piles of milk to be tested in order to
show them the variation in value of
different milks, and for the purpose of
illustrating and explaining the machine.
They were especially urged to bring in
samples of skim milk-that which they
thought had been thoroughly creamed
so that the audience might see what
the loss was. For two years the
writer preserved the report of these
tests and the average of all was eight
tenths of one per cent for the skim
milk creamed by any gravity method.
1t varied from one-fourth of one per
cent to l per cent. This was in the
winter when there was no difficulty in
having the milk cold enough. There is
no doubt that in summer, during hot
weather, the average loss is still greater,
If the separating is done on the farm
Immediately after the milking, the skim
milk from the separator seldom tests
more than one-tenth of one per cent
and frequently less than that.
"From the results of these tests it
seems impossible TO escape the conclu-
sion that the average loss, where the
milk is set in pans, cans and crooks,
is three fourths of pound of butter
more to each 100 pounds of milk than
where the separator is used. This
means, with milk of average richness
g per cent better fa), a loss of about
20 per cent of the total product Of but
ter. A herd of COWS ought to average,
per COW, 5000 pounds of milk per year,
and would do 80 if made up of good
animals and we'll managed; but even
if they only averaged 5000, the loss on
one cow would be % IL pounds of but
ter, and on ten COWS 225 pounds, which,
at 20 cents a pound would be S45 a
year. 1t will be seen by this that the
loss to farmers, who cream their own
milk by gravity process, is enormous
in the aggregate. How can any bust
ness man succeed and suffer such a
percentage of loss? What would be
thought of the man who would 90 on
from year to year with hole in his
pocket through which 20 cents would
drop out and be lost every time he
would put dollar into his pocket?
Some men try to console themselves by
saying, 1T is not all lost, the calves and
pigs get the butter But this is poor
consolation, for butter is dear food even
when the price is the lowest. One
cents worth of oilmeal will do the calves
and pigs as much good as pound of
butter. Besides this the skim milk from
the separator, when it is run through
and fed to them Immediately after
milking, while it is warm and new and
sweet, is better food for calves than
skim milk that is old and partially sour,
even though it does not contain one
quarter of the butter fat originally
in it. This can be attested by hundreds
who are using farm separators.
'The cost of hand separators is from
$65 to 1925 each, according to size and
capacity. They will skim from 100 to
400 pounds an hour. Larger sizes with
greater capacity are used in large dair-
les and run with some kind of power
1t would seem that no dairyman, who
manufactures his own milk into butter,
having ten cows or more, could afford
to be without separator. One, if
properly used, will last for years. II
they are turned by hand, it is true that
takes time, but not as much time as
would be taken in setting and skimming
the milk and warming it for the calves.
All except the smallest size hand
separators are 30 constructed that they
can be attached to a power. Some use
small gasoline engine, or some other
kind. A light tread power run by a
large dog or some other animal of like
size is very economical. A goat has
been found to do remarkably well.
son the farm of the writer separa-
tor has been run for the past five years,
making an average of nearly 5000
pounds of butter year. The cost of
repairs in that time has been SO, and
the separator, to all appearance will
last for several years to come. 1t has a
capacity of 300 pounds of milk an hour.
1t is run by 2'horse tread power,
which was purchased before the separa-
tor was and which is used for cutting
feed, filling silo, etc. The power ia run
by Jersey bull, and works very nicely
He needs exercise; it keeps him do
cile and gentle, vigorous and healthy,
and he seems to enjoy the walking and
work. The separating is done while
the milking is going on, and ten or fif-
teen minutes after the last COW ia milk
ed the calves and pigs have had new,