BUTTER MANUFACTURE.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XXX, Issue 75, 17 January 1872, Page 6

BUTTER MANUFACTURE.

The following paper is by X. A. Willard, A.M., Lecturer at the Maine State Agricultural College: — The advantages of butter making on the associated dairy system over that in private families are very great. In the first place, by the association system, a uniform product of superior character is secured. Every appliance that science or Bkill or close attention is able to obtain is brought to bear upon the manufacture, and prime quality necessarily follows as a result. If you could assume that in a neighbourhood of 100 families each family had the skill and convenience of the factory, and that each would give the subject the same close attention, then, doubtless, there would be no difference as to the quality of product ,• but such a state of things rarely exists. Again, the factories are able to obtain a larger price, because it costs the dealer no more to purchase the 100 dairies combined than it would to purchase an individual dairy ; and the uniformity and reliability of the product does not entail the losses that are constantly occurring in different small lots "by reason of inferior quality. The factories, too, as we have previously remarked, relieve the farmer and his family from a great deal of drudgery ; and, unless the work can be done by members of the family, who cannot be employed profitably at other labours, it is a matter of economy to have the butter and cheese made at the factory, since what could take 100 hands scattered over the country to do is performed in the same time by three or four, when the milk is worked up together in one place. The only serious complaint against the factory system ia in hauling the milk. This has been obviated in many instances by establishing a route of milk-teams, where milk is delivered for the season by the payment of a small sum. We have referred to the manufacture of " skim cheese " as a part of the but-tery-factory system. We have said that the cream is dipped from the milk while it is sweet, and that the latter then goes into the milk vats for making skim cheese. It should be remarked that at the butter factories the quantity of milk to be manipulated is usually much smaller than at the cheese factories. In making a fancy product, it is found advisable that the delivery of milk be kept within moderate bounds, say from 300 to 400 cows. The factory vats are all essentially alike in form and size ; they hold from 500 to 600 gallons. There is a great variety of heating apparatus — boilers, steamers, tanks for hot water, and what is termed " selfheaters " — that is, with fire-box attached to, and immediately below, the milk vat. This kind of heater is very popular at the butter factories, as it consumes but little fuel, is easily managed, and does as good work as the best. The ordinary heater is constructed separately from the vat, and consists of wrought iron pipes, screwed together in such a manner as to form a fire-chamber, and present a large amount of heated surface. Where a boiler and engine are used, power is afforded for driving the churns, and in this respect this system must prove most convenient ; still, as the expense is considerably more than for the self-heater, both in the first cost and for fuel, many prefer the latter. Within the last three or four years a good quality of butter has been made at some of the cheese factories. The plan adopted is to spread out the night'B milk

in the vats used for making cheese, allowing a stream of water to flow under the iuner vat, or to fill the space between the inner and outer vats. The milk is by this means reduced to about sixty degrees, and what cream rises during the night is skimmed off in the morning and made into butter. The morning's milk is then added to the skimmed milk as it comes to the factory, and is made into cheese by the usual process, except that a lower heat and less salt is used than for wholemilk cheese. By careful manipulation and skill very nearly, if not quite, as good a product of cheese is made as at the factories making whole-milk cheese; at least, with good milk and high skill, experts are unable to detect the difference. At one of these factories, which we visited in 1870, the delivery of milk for the day amounted to 6,839 lbs. The cream taken from the night's mess of milk made 87 lbs. of butter, and when the morning's milk was added to the skimmed milk it made nine cheeses of 72 lbs. each. In some factories, in order that the night's milk may not be massed together in too large quantities, resort is had to a large shallow pan set in wooden vats with a space between the two for water. The milk is set in these pans from two to three inches deep, and a stream of cold water kept flowing in the space between the pan and the vat during the night. These pans are from eight to twelve feet, or more, long, by two to three feet wide, and are arranged so that the milk may be drawn off through an orifice in the bottom. The skimming is effected with a tin scoop. At the whole-milk cheese factories a new process is beginning to be adopted for taking the butter out of whey and preparing it for table use. Whey butter is not equal in flavour or texture to the fancy product manufactured at the butter factories; still, by the new process, whey butter may be made very palatable, and, when fresh, commands a good price. We have seen whey butter side by side in the markets with that made from cream in the usual way, and dealers have selected the former in preference to the latter, not for a moment suspecting its origin. Indeed so fine are some of the samples, and so neatly are they put up, that it has been sold week after week at the Little Falls market for the same price as good brands of butter made in the farm dairies. Whey butter soon deteriorates in flavour, and should be consumed when freshly made. The average product from the milk during the season at the butter factories is a pound of butter and two pounds of skim cheese from fourteen quarts of milk. There is a variation in the quality of milk at different seasons of the year; and in the fall, when the cows are grieving a smaller quantity, it is of course richer in cream, and better results are obtained from the same quantity than early in the season. This will be seen from the following examples of a single day's work, taken at random from the book of one of the factories :—On May 18th, from 3,512 quarts of milk, wine measure, there was produced 213 lbs. of butter and 560 lbs. skim cheese; on May 26th, from 3,300 quarts of milk, 210 lbs. of butter and 5501b5. of cheese; on September 12th, from 3,180 quarts of milk, 240 lbs. of butter and 546 lbs. of cheese; on October 14th, from 2,027 quarts of milk, 120 lbs. of butter, and 407 lbs. of cheese." In the working of any system, practical men always desire statistics of results. The following is a statement of receipts and expenditure at one of the small butter factories, where a portion of the milk was sold. The quantity of milk received from April 10th to December Ist was 827,174 quarts, of which 27,308 were sold at a little above 7 cents (3^d.) per quart, leaving 509,866 quarts to be made up into butter and cheese. The product was as f0110w5: —31,6301b5. of butter, 81,778 lbs. of skim cheese, 15,908 lbs. of whole-milkcheese; 2.261 quarts cream sold at 19 5-10 cents (9 8-10 d.) per quart; and 1,561 quarts skim milk, at 15 cents (7£d.) per quart. The net cash receipts, after deducting transportation and commission, were as follows: —

(Equal £647 Is. 4d.) This gives an aggregate net receipt of 25,88070 dollars. From these statements it appears that the butter averaged 42| c. (say Is. 9d.) per lb., the skim] cheese 14J c. (about 7d.), and the wholemilk cheese 18 c. per lb.; * while the average amount received on the whole quantity of milk was 4 1-10 c. (2d.) per quart. The whole expenses of the factory were a little over one half-cent per quart. For working this factory there were employed, besides the superintendent, three hands, viz., two men and one woman. The labour account for conducting this factory, it will be seen, is a little over two mills. (l-10d.) per quart.

Dollars. For pure milk sold . . 1,92622 For skim milk sold . . 24 02 For butter sold . . . 13,344-21 For skim cheese sold . . 11,65908 For whole-milk cheese . 1,065-44 For 2,261 quarts cream . 44333 Eogs fed on whey . . 44624 Buttermilk and sundries . 207 # 49 Making a total of . . 29,11603 (Eijual £5,823 4s. lid.)

he expense account was as iollows : — For labour . . . 1,476-40 For fuel .... 7996 For cheese boxes . . 653 - l7 For twenty sacks of Bait . 8925 For rennets, bandages . 483 55 For carting cheese and butter to station . . . 27310 Paid for hogs . . . 179 90 Total .... 3,23583