The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1899-07-21
A GOOD INVESTMENT.
An Essay on Separators Showing Their su
q periority Over Crexmers.

fered prize of $50 for the best essay
on the use OF milk separators on the
farm, and the following written by q.
+. Smith, from his own experience,
won the prize:
"A little more than eight years ago
separator agent struck our town. On
tnHuiring for some one who would be-
come an easy victim to his oily tongue
he was directed to our place. We had
siXteen-can, cOpper-lined cabinet
creamer, costing $780, that had been
used for a short time; so we were fair
~ well fortified for the occasion. After
wasting some time (being in the posi-
ton OF girl who marries a man to
get rid Of HIM, we finally accepted a
proposition to take a machine and test
1t thoroughly for two weeks. If at
the end OF that time we were not con-
WINGED that we could afford to throw
away our creamer and pay $125 for
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 half
In the creamer The running water
at that time was about 42+. We stat
ed In feeling sure The creamer would
beat. Imagine our surprise when we
found the milk from the separator
made 1S pounds more butter than that
from the creamer. One of the best
farm implements any farmer can have
is lead pencil. We had one and used
1t. and as a result did not ask the agent
to take away the separator. The cream
er 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 mill and let
the bull. which is always kept in the
barn. get needed exercise separating
the milk. The calf stable is only few
feet away. and what milk is not want
ed for them is conducted to the base
ment below to talk only few feet
from the pigs trough. The warm milk
containing the animal heat is an i'm
portant item for the calves and pigs.
The milk Is always fed Immediately
after separa ting. After milking a few
cows, depending on the number OF
mixers, the separator is started, which
takes only 4 moment. Each mixer
strains his milk into the hopper or
tank Of the machine. The time saved
In carrying 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 a great saving
Of labor in the house. Mans usually
too hard worked helpmeet has to be
cook, kitchen girl. chambermaid and
dairymaid and do p thousand and one
other things. besides tending to the
babies. 1t saves tracking from the
stable to dairy-roon. spilling milk es-
pecially about the stove in warming
1t for the calves. end Swimming and
washing many pans or cans. 1t is
only few moments work to wash
and scald the separator. and It can be
done by a girl 10 years old. We wash
our separator twice a day. scalding IL
but once. Most people about here who
use hand machines leave water in
them mt night and wash and scald
them only once Il day. We have tested
the skim milk from our separator
many times with Babcock tester. We
have had ope-tenth Of l per cent. but
more often only trace. or little
lumD Of fat about the size Of a pin
head on the side Of the neck Of the
bottle.
Barring accidents. we have paid out
only small amount for repairs for
our machine. 1t has averaged to run
about three hours day, 365 days in
the year. for eight years. 1t has sep
arated milk for mere than 100000
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 OFT for the separator
repairs etc, we have separated milk
enough for 7O0.or 500 pounds of butter,
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 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 q
sheep power that costs about $15.
"As milk should he separated as
soon as possible after milking, we
think n machine that will separate as
fast as one usually has mixers to milk
Is more economical than n larger one.
The bowl Is lighter for the women or
KiTtS u uduStlc III WdSuluS, dHu lcSS
pals will be required for storage.
Were we to turn a separator by hand.
even with a small dairy, we would
want a large size to save time. We
think ii a conservative statement that
the majority of thnse about here who
have had experience in farm separa-
tors. would say that with dairy Of
twenty good cows. s125 machine
would not he in deb. to them much. II
any. at the end Of the first year. With
a dairy Of Ave or six cows, and the
milk made into butter Mt home, no one
can afford to be without some kind Of
a hand separator. A friend Of ours
who kept eight good cows, bought $125
machine four years ago. Figuring
his butter at the same price per pound
he received the year before, he
made enough more in the first twelve
months from the same eight cows to
bring 800 to apply on his separator.
"Our machine has given us very IT.
tie trouble since we bought It. Any Of
our farm hands have no trouble In
caring for II. After eight years Of ex-