LIME IN THE DAIRY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1656, 25 November 1903, Page 32

LIME IN THE DAIRY.

A supply of recently burnt lime should be an essential portion of the dairy or factory equipment. It is beat made 'with, skimmed milk. Mr. H W. Parkes. principal of the Hawkesbury college, advises, and sufficient lime to make it of creamy consistency, with the addition of 2oz. of salt to each gallon. On every available space from floor to ceiling it should bei applied in every nook, corner or crevice, on .shelves and beams, on ceilings and upright timbers, under ’verandahs, and wherever there is the chance of the lodgment of dust. In the cowshed and also in the stables wo occasionally find dry lime being sprinkled over the doors and drains. This is wrong. The chemical reaction set up between the lime and the fresh dung lessens the value of the manure. A lime water cask, vat, or tank should be provided in every daily, creamery or factory, in slice Eroportionately to the requirements. ixuo water is simply and readily made. Water will only dissolve or absorb 80 grains to the gallon. The vessel in which it is proposed to make it should be situated in a cool corner, away lroin sunlight. in the receptacle, place freshly burnt lime in any quantity, and fill up 'with ram water or good well water. Stir up freely with a clean stick, and allow it to settle, pn the course of a few hours the water is clear, and it will be found to have a distinct, sharp, •earthy, caustic fiavo-ur, and oduor]ess. Thus, we have lime water or a saturated solution of lime.,Seeing lime >s 'so sparingly soluble in water, there need be no apprehension as to iis strength. The undissolved lime settles in the bottom. The lime water may be decanted off by inserting a tap in the cask just above the line of the settled Jinie. or re may be ladled out with a dipper,

IN LARGE FACTORIES

it is a good plan, to lit up a 400-gallon ship’s tank on a platform or stage, with an inflow pipe to- supply water, and two outflow pipes, one above the lima layer, and another at the bottom, through which to flush the debris. When the cask or tank is emptied it may be refilled with water, and the lime -stirred up through it as before. This may b-e repeated until all the lima is dissolved or exhausted, and this can be detected by tasting the solution. If the caustic earthy flavour becomes faint, then it is necessary to flush out the debris from the tank or cask, and add a. fresh supply of lime. Lime‘water is innocuous and perfectly harmless.'-and can be brought into $r association; with dairy products of f,n kinds without injuring them in an v degree. In the dairy, li-me water should be used to rinse daily utensils in which milk has been used, after they have been cleansed in the ordinary way. If. is useful to sprinkle o-ver floors and* %sa drains. It neutraliea every aciduons trace lei t in milk cam?, and checks- fermentations, sourness and ill odours. In the creamery and factory lime water should be ocod freely in cleansing u tend Is, flushing drains, washiner nets, butter workers’.

shurns, and printing tables. Many follow the practice of filling the churn with lime water for a day. Others useua. lime wash both on churn and worker, with good results. The lime water used freely on the floors and in all drains has an excell S'lit” o\ffoOt A dry atmosphere is always desirable in a butter factory. Unsightly oil stains, either on wooden or cement floors, are readily removed by covering them wren lime wash for several hours and then scrubbing. Lime acts as a fungicrae as well as an insecticide. Fungi prefer an acid reaction on the substances on which they grow. Lime, owing to its alkalinity, this.