The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1912-11-01
K. Separators and
Treatment of Cream.
By LAURA ROSE,
Demonstrator and Lecturer In Dairvine
at the Ontario Agricultural Col
lege, Guelph. Canada.


arator gave great impetus to
the butter industry and revolu-
tionized the handling Of milk
and cream.
Many ask the question, (which is
the best make of SEPARATOR" All the
standard makes have good points, and
the question Sits down to a matter of
small details, which appeal differently
to different people. In buying q sep
arator select good skinner, one that
turns easily. is well made of good
wearing material. not too complicated
In construction. easy to clean. con-
venient as to height of cream and skim
milk spouts and sufficiently large .or
the size Of the herd.
It must be remembered there is
vast difference between machines of
the same make. and purchaser
should satisfy himself that his machine
Is clean skinner and a smooth, easy
runner before closing the bargain.
The machine should not be set up
IN stable. Occasionally one sees a
separator in an empty cow stall. This
is bad. 1t is convenient to have a
small room fitted up for the machine
near to or in the stable. Such a room
should be well ventilated and clean
and the floor tight
Firm Foundation Needed.
The foundation of the separator
should be firm. Even a slight vibra-
ton INJURIES such finely constructed
piece of machinery. For the same
reason the machine should stand per-
fectly level. A small piece of quarter
inch rubber packing, placed under the
legs before fastening, improves the
running Of any separator. Keep all
parts clean. Every week or two run
little kerosene through the oil chan
nels to remove the black grease and
accumulated dirt from the bearings,
but do not fail to oil the machine well
afterward. Coal oil is not lubricant.
simply cleanser. Use only the oil fur
nished for the machine or one of equal
~ fine quality.
When starting the machine get up
speed gradually. Put the same pres
sure. on the handle during the entire
circle Of it and sustain an even speed.
For close skimming run the machine
few turns above the tabulated speed
rather than below. Slow speed is the
cause Of much poor skimming.
Eefore turning on the milk put
enough hot water through the machine
to wet and warm the bowl thoroughly.
This insures cleaner skimming and
prevents the cream from sticking to
the skimming device. Do not allow
the milk to get too low in the receiving
can or the cream outlet may clog. The
inflow Of milk into the bowl should
be steady and should be approximate
to the capacity of the machine. If for
any reason the machine has to be left
before the run is finished shut OF the
flow of milk and If convenient flush
out the bowl with little warm water
to prevent the cream outlet from
clogging. At the end Of the run enough
warm water should be put through the
bowl to force the cream out. This
water must be pure. for some Of it of
necessity gets into the cream. but
allow only what is necessary to flush
the cream from the bowl. Too hot wa
ter will scald the milk on the bowl and
make it hard to clean. Skimmilk may
be used for flushing out the bowl. but
warm water is better.
Always Strain Before Separating.
Milk should always be strained be-
fore separating. The sooner the dirt
is removed the better. Moreover, hairs,
small pieces Of straw. etc.. are apt to
close the outlets. Putting two thick
nesses Of cheesecloth over the receiv-
ing can and holding them in place with
several clothespins is convenient
method.
Milk is at.its best for separating i'm
mediately after being drawn from the
cows. Should it cool below IS degrees
It is better to warm it. although some
machines do good skimming at lower
temperature. but there Is always risk
of losing cream when the temperature
Of the milk is low.
Should the milk supply become SO
small that it seems hardly worth while
starting up the machine the nights
milk may be held till the morning, but
to preserve the quality it should be
quickly cooled as soon as MIXED.
This held over milk should have the
cream well stirred in and be heated to
100 degrees or over. for no harm, but
really good. results from having the
milk hot Run it through after the
mornings milk has been separated
This practice has its disadvantages.
There is one point that must be en-
phasized The machine must be thor