Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1907-01-23
OF INTEREST TO DAIRYMEN.

Or all the essential parts of Dairying,
the testing of the milk and cream is
possibly by the average Dairy farmer
the least understood, and for this reason
there often arises much dissatisfaction
between the creamery and the patrons.
1t the patrons thoroughly understood
cream testing, and the causes that
bring about variations in test, a great
amount of the trouble would be obviated.
The per cent of butter churned is no
true indication of the per cent of fat in
the cream. Most of us know that but
ter is not pure bItterfat, and that more
butter can be made out of the cream
than it contains of butterfat In the
process of churning, the particles of fat
are brought together and there is incor-
porated a certain amount of moisture
and small amounts of protein, ash and
some other organic matters. The
amount of moisture in butter generally
runs between and II per cent, while
in extreme cases, il has been known TO
contain as high as 30 per cent. (The
limit allowed by law is under Is per ct.)
Ii is not possible TO estimate the amount
of moisture in butter, without making a
chemical analysis, or by testing it. 1t
has very often been found by analysis
that the butter that appears the driest
contains the most moisture. Such being
the case, we see that the butter churned
forms no reliable indication of the
amount of fat in the cream.
The chief causes that enter into test
variation in separator cream are, as
follows:
Speed of separator. The higher the
speed, the richer will be the cream. To
get an even test, the separator should be
run at uniform rate of speed and per-
fectly steady.
? Temperature of the milk. The
colder the milk to a certain degree, the
richer will be the cream, but with cold
milk, close separation can not be obtain
ed. To get best results, the temperature
of the milk should be 90 degrees, or
above.
The feed of milk TO the SEPARATOR
the greater the inflow, the lower the
test. The smaller the amount of milk
run into separator below capacity, the
higher will the cream test.
4 The amount of liquid used to flush
out the bowl and different amounts of
milk separated compared with the flush
water, will also cause variation.
D The per cent. of fat in the whole
milk the richer the milk, the richer
will be the cream. Other conditions
being equal, there is often difference
between nights and mornings milk
Any of the above causes may bring
about variation of from to per cent
and in extreme cases, to10 per cent.
There are also number of minor causes,
snch as sndden starting, cream anh skim
milk covers not fitting properly, parts of
bowl poorly washed and cleaned, acidity
of the milk, etc.
1t is hardly possible to have the sepa-
rator running twice under identically
the same conditions, aud there will gen.
orally be found variation of from to
) per cent.
We would strongly advise every far
mer to own Babcock tester;with a few
instructions and little practice any
farmer of ordinary intelligence can test
his own milk or cream. He would then
have a means of finding out whether the
creamery is giving him too low test,
all accurate test, or batting him with
/ higher test.
CENTRAL MICHIGAN PRODUCE Co.