206 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE 



creamer may be pureliased. In either case, this method is preferable to setting: 

 in shallow pans. 



Three prominent agencies are suggested as affecting the efficiency of creaming— 

 the temperature of the water in which the milk is set, the temperature of the milk 

 itself, dependent upon the time it has been milked, and the length of time that 

 the cows have given milk. It might be added, too. that as cows differ individually, 

 no two being just alike in every respect, so the milk of some cows creams more 

 leadily than that of others, the difference probably being due to the difference in the 

 composition of the milk and tlie size of the fat globules. 



in order to get the best results from cold deep setting, ice must be used. It is 

 important that the milk be cooled as rapidly as possible; therefore, the colder the 

 surrounding water, the better. We have recently made trials in which the milk 

 of the herd, divided Into separate lots and set in deep cans with the water at 

 different temperatures, gave the following results; 



Average per- 

 Temperatere cent of fat in 

 degrees, Fah. the skim milk 



Milk set in water at 32-3G .19 



-Milk set in water at 40 M 



Milk set in water at 50 .84 



Milk set in water at 58-60 .84 



Milk set in running water at 58-60 .84 



Milk set in open air at 62 1.40^ 



These results point to the conclusion stated above, the colder the water the 

 better. The statement is often made that water should be at least as low as 50' 

 degrees, but our experience leads us to conclude that even 40 degrees is none too 

 low. 



Atteption is called to *he fact that the milk set in one case in standing water and 

 in another in running water at the same temperature showed no difference in the 

 efficiency of creaming. The idea seems to be prevalent that by setting milk in 

 running water and thus keeping the temperature constant, better results can be- 

 obtained than by setting in still water at the same temperature, but this trial does 

 not indicate tha such is the ease. The temperature of the standing water rose on 

 an average 7 degrees Fah., during the twenty-four hours that the milk was allowed 

 to set. 



It is to be observed, too, that the loss in the skim milk where milk is set in deep 

 cans in the open air is excessive. It seems to be safe to conclude that unless water 

 is to be used the shallow pans furnish a. more efficient method of creaming than the 

 deep setting. 



While the best results seem to be obtained by setting milk as soon after milking 

 as possible, the loss due to a slight delay in setting is not excessive if the water is 

 at a low temperature when the milk is set. A certain amount of milk was divided 

 into three equal lots, one of which Avas set immediately, one a half hour later, and 

 the third half an hour later still, the water in all cases being at the same 

 temperature and the milk never above 36 degrees Fah. The following are the re-, 

 suits: 



Average per- 

 cent of fat in 

 skim milk. 



Milk set immediately after milking 216 



Setting delayed half an hour 25 



Setting delayed one hour 26 



It is of the utmost importance that the water in which the milk is set be at 

 temperature certainly below 50 degrees Fah., and preferably below 40, when the 

 cans of milk are put in, otherwise an excessive loss of butter in the skim milk is to 

 be expected. Setting the milk in water above 50 degrees Fah., and afterwards 

 cooling the water down to forty or below will not prevent the loss. It is essential 

 that the water be cold at the beginning. 



The length of time the cow has been in milk has an influence upon the complete- 

 ness of separation of the butter fat in the cream. The cream in milk from cows 

 well advanced in the period of lactation seems to separate less readily than that In 

 the milk of cows comparatively fresh. This difference is attributed to a decrease 



