260 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



The following paper, by Mr. W. S. Laird, was not read owing- 

 to his being unable to attend the convention. 



HANDLING AND CARE OF CREAMERY MACHINERY. 



W. S. LAIRD, WALKER. 



Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen — The subject assigned to me by our 

 secretary is one I have given careful attention, and I am free to say that as 

 creamery men we have no subject that is of more vital importance to us, to 

 the profitable conduction of our business than the one of handling and care 

 of creamery machinery. The responsibility of every industrial plant rests 

 largely on the shoulders of the operator, and to be successful he must keep 

 himself posted on the latest and most up to date methods in his profession. 

 During the last ten or fifteen years most gratifying progress has been made 

 in the dairy interest, yet there is a lack of competent men to take the re- 

 sponsibility of the work and carry it out properly. I am sometimes inclined 

 to think the machinery used in our creameries, especially the boiler, engine, 

 separator, pumps, churn vats and 1 may say all other utensils are more or 

 less badly neglected. 



Boiler— ThQ boiler should be blown off and cleaned out as often as neces- 

 sary to keep it clean, have a certain day or days of the month for this work. 

 And do not postpone it, as delays are dangerous, when it can be had use a 

 hose with a pressure of water to wash the boiler out, and this helps to keep 

 the boiler clean. 



Flues — The flues should be cleaned out every day, dirty flues means a 

 loss of fuel. Keep the ash pit well cleaned and you will not be troubled 

 with warping of the grate bars; be sure that the safety valve is in good work- 

 ing order. Keep all valves well packed so they will not leak, and all steam and 

 water joints tight, as thousands of dollars are lost annually in fuel alone. 



Engine — The engine needs care as well as the boiler. Keep all bearings 

 oiled and boxes tight enough to prevent pounding; do not be afraid that 

 extra time spent in taking care of your machinery will not pay, as a lack of 

 care and good judgment may cause trouble; with all of the work in the 

 creamery, my experience teaches me when machinery runs smoothly is best 

 to let it alone. 



Separator— The care of a separator should be such as to keep it in good 

 running order. A separator must run smoothly to do its best work. Before 

 starting, see that all parts of the separator are in their proper place; be sure 

 all bearings are well oiled and the bowl filled with warm water. The bowl 

 may tremble a little when starting, but when brought up to full speed it will 

 run smoothly if properly adjusted. The more gradually the separator is set 

 in motion and the more even the motion is kept, the longer the belts will last. 

 Belts are often badly damaged by acquiring speed too rapidly; therefore start 

 slowly. The separators should be cleaned as soon as possible after using 

 them. The longer they remain without being cleaned the more time will be 

 required to do the work. All parts should be washed clean and thoroughly 

 steamed, as this will dry them quickly and they are not so apt to rust. 



Belts — The belts should not be neglected, do not wait for them to break 

 before repairing them; never put off until tomorrow what you can do today, 

 for procrastination is the theft of time. 



