The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-09-01
The Hand Separator.

Will it pay to purchase hand sep
arator on a farm where six or more
cows are kept? This is question that
repeatedly crops up. The separator
has now been SO long on the market
that its useful qualities are well estab-
lished. 1t is generally known that a
good machine will skim down to L OF
one per cent. of fat; that it will extract
the cream from the milk while it is
still warm; that it will thoroughly aer-
ate the milk and remove from it the
cowy odor, which is not only disagree
able to the taste, but which if retained
tends to develop undesirable ferments
and hastens the souring of the milk.
Then the separator also removes all the
dirt particles from the milk, hairs, and
q fair per cent. Of the bacteria which
get into the milk from one source and
another, so that In certain sense it
acts as a preservative of the milk. The
separator also enables the skim milk
to be fed warm and fresh, matter Of
the greatest Importance where calves
are to be raised on the farm. Fresh.
warm milk is not so important for hogs
which seem to do as we'll apparently
on sour milk as on the freshly separ-
ated article fed warm. But when fed
warm and sweet there is much less
danger of undesirable forms of bact-
eria gaining a foothold in the stable
or the hog barn, and so cholera and
other dread diseases are not so likely
to develop as where filthy slop barrels
are permitted.
The hand separator has many pecu-
liar advantages in the South. 1t is a
custom on many farms where a few
cows are kept to churn all the milk
every day. This can be avoided by the
use of the separator, as the bulk Of the
milk can be reduced so much that in
some sections ice can be utilized to pre-
serve the cream at profit, whereas, 1t
could not be used with the whole milk.
Again, the cream can often be pre-
served in cold water from spring.
whereas, a number of large cans Of
milk could not be accommodated. In q
warm climate milk ferments very
quickly unless properly cooled and aer-
ated, and the preservation Of the quail
ity of the milk is matter Of the grav-
est Importance where it is to be placed
on the market as human food. Pas
teurization has frequently been resort
ed to to preserve it. but it has been
found in many instances that sanitary
surroundings and the immediate aera-
ton and separation Of the milk and
cream will preserve it almost as long
as Pasteurizing, and the operation Of
separation is much SIMPLER than that
of Pasteurization, and does not affect
the taste or composition of the milk the
slightest degree. Some may imagine
that if the milk is passed through a
separator the milk and cream will not
readily mix again. Such is not the
case, however, if the two are run di-
rectly into one vessel and thoroughly
stirred before bottling. Climatic condi-
tions, economy in handling the product,
the excellence Of the skim milk on
farms where butter making is prac-
ticed all commend the use of the sep
arator even on the small dairy farm.
The amount Of money required for
the purchase of a first-class separator
to handle the milk from half dozen or
more COWS is very small in comparison
with the benefits derived. Where the
whole milk is churned the separator
will Offset the labor involved in hand
ling so great volume, which will only
yield few pounds of butter at best.
Then, if an attempt is made to skim
the milk by hand through deep setting,
the per cent. OF fat lost in year will
amount to more than the purchase
price of a separator. 1t has been def
nitely shown in many instances that
the hand separator will more than pay
for itself the first year of its use by
eason of the fat saved. 1t is not un-
common where shallow setting in prac-
ticed for one to two per cent. is lost.
With separator properly run this
need not amount to more than .01 of
one per cent, or practically nothing.
The farmer who has a small herd Of
cows need not hesitate to purchase a
hand separator. He will find it an in
valuable addition to his equipment and
one of the most economical invest
mentS he ever made.
Grass and Alfalfa.