The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1905-08-01

few pointed QueSuOnS may readily re-
veal whether a variable cream test
is due to an uneven turning of the
separator crank, to an excess of rims
ing water, to extra new mich cows, to
uneven temperature of milk, or to the
visit of the parson or the hired girls
fellow. At the same time it must
not be forgotten that it may be due
to a carelessly taken sample, or
loose sample bottle cover, or to care
lessness in testing, or to weak sui
phuric acid, or inaccurate glassware.
But no matter what the cause may
be, if it be possible to determine If
the trouble be real or imaginary it is
the duty of the cream gatherer to use
his best efforts to do so, and to see
that justice is done between patron
and creamery or between creamery
and patron, as the case may be. 1t
must be remembered that we are all
human and are liable to make mis-
takes and in dealing with other peo-
pie, especially creamery patrons, this
must not be lost sight of, and any
cause for misunderstanding must be
approached tactfully upon this basis
of mutual ability to err.
If there is one quality in a cream
gatherer which is sure to command
respect, it is neatness and cleanliness,
not only in appearance high collar
is not necessary-but especially in the
handling of cream. Let the patrons
see that their cream is in good hands,
and that it's value is recognized. For
truly it is a most valuable product
to handle, when we consider that it
takes not much more than three
pounds of average cream to make one
pound of butter worth from 16 to 26
cents per pound, according to seal
son. 1t is readily seen that loss
of few pounds of cream, through
carelessness or accident, must be ac-
counted for.
An educated Creamery gatherer
can readily discern between good and
bad cream, and can offer suggestions
where needed, and can thus greatly
improve the general quality of the
cream on his route. 1t may be uphill
work, for the certain knowledge that
there are three or four more cream
cries ready to snap up the cream OF
any disaffected patron is a great in
centive to take anything in the shape
of cream that is offered. The most
satisfactory patrons to deal with are
those whose intelligence has prompted
them to invest in a Babcock tester
of their own and SO are in a position
to keep track of the testing done at
the creamery. l consider it very mer-
itorious on the part of cream gath
erer who can induce any number of the
patrons to purchase testers, not only
to keep track of the cream testing,
but chiefly to keep track of their cows,
amongst which there are no greater
robbers extant
There should be no lettering on the
road, no gossip, but strict tending
to business, so that no detail may be
overlooked to insure that everybody
gets what belongs to them, and moth
ing more. The lady who would prefer
the sample to be taken out of the can
not containing the rinsings, must be
respectfully reminded of the eighth
commandment; the patron who de-
murs when the weights of his own
scales are unnoticed must be tact
fully informed of the necessity OF
treating all absolutely alike and weigh
ing all the cream on the same scales,
viz, the gatherer's steelyards. Last
ly, but not least, use intelligence and
L he