Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-05-26
Farm Separators

tnquiring for some one VINO Wouiu po-
come an easy victim to his oily tongue
he was directed to our place, writes q
contributor to Practical Farmer We
had a sixteen-can, copper-lined. cabi-
net creamer, costing $3.50, that had
been used but a short time; so we were
fairly we'll fortified for the occasion.
After wasting some time (being In the
position of a girl who marries q man
to get rid OF him), we finally accepted
q proposition to take machine anu
test it thoroughly for two weeks. II
at the end of that time we were not
convinced that we could afford to
throw away our creamer and pay $125
for a separator, the agent was to take
the machine away without any expense
to us. We were making at that time
about 200 pounds of butter a week. A
large share of our cows were fresh In
the fall and early winter previous. We
divided the milk, running half through
the separator and setting the other
halt in the creamer. The running
water at that time was about AZ de-
grees. We started in feeling sure the
dreamer would beat. Imagine our sur
prise when we found the milk from
the separator made eighteen pounds
more butter than that from the cream
err One of the best farm implements
any farmer can have is lead pencil.
We had one and used it, and as re-
suit did not ask the agent to take
away the separator. The dreamer is
still setting around in the way. After
few weeks we partitioned off a small
room adjoining the milking stable and
set the separator there. We bought
a small tread-power and let the bull,
which is always kept in the barn, get
needed exercise separating the milk.
The calf stable is only a few feet
away, and what milk is not wanted
sor them is conducted to the basement
below to a tank only few feet from
the pigs trough. The warm milk con-
tanning the animal heat is an import
ant item for the calves and pigs. The
milk is always fed Immediately after
separating. After milking few cows
depending on the number Of milkers)
the separator is started which takes
only a moment. Each mixer strains
his milk into the hopper or tank Of
the machine. The time saved in car
rying milk to and from the dairy-room
and In warming 1t for the calves and
pigs amounts to many dollars IN
year. There Is also great saving OF
labor in the house. Mans usually too
hard-worked helpmeet has to be cook,
kitchen girl, chambermaid and dairy
maid, and do thousand and one other
things, besides tending to the babies.
1t saves tracking from stable to dairy
room, splitting milk, especially about
the stove in warming 1t for the calves,
and skimming and washing many pans
or cans. 1t is only few moments
workoto wash and scald the separator,
and it can be done by girl 10 years
old. We wash our separator twice
day, scalding it but once. Most people
about here who use hand machines
leave water in them at night and wash
and scald them only once a day. we
have tested the skim-milk from our
separator many times with a Babcock
tester. We have had one-tenth Of 1
per cent, but more often only trace
or ? little lump of fat the size OF
pinhead on one side Of the neck of the
bottle.
Barring accidents, we have paid out
only a small amount for repairs for
our machine. 1t has averaged to run
about three house a day, 365 days IN
the year. for eight years. 1t has sep
arated milk enough for more than lOo,-
600 pounds Of butter, and is still doing
good work. We keep about forty cows,
having some fresh in milk every
month, and are making over some 300
pounds of butter week now. For
each dollar paid out for separator, re-
pairs. etc., we have separated milk
enough for 700 or 800 pounds Of but
ter. and we still have our machine.
The expense of running the separator
is very small, as the wear of the power
is made up in the benefit the bull gets
from the exercise. A $40 power will
last as long as any one man ought TO
want to live land run dairy. we
believe, in point of economy, small
power for some kind Of an animal Is
necessary. Several in this section are
using a sheep power that costs about
SIS.
AS milk should be separated as soon
as possible after milking, we think a
machine that will separate as fast as
one usually has mixers to milk is
more economical than a larger one
The bowl is lighter for the women OF
girls to handle in washing, and less
pals will be required for storage. Were
we to turn a separator by hand, even
with a small dairy we would want
large size to save time. We think II
n conservative statement that the ma
FORTY of those about here who have
nod exnerience in farm separators