CONDITIONS AFFECTING RICHNESS OF CREAM . 103 



renders the emptying of the cans exceedingly difficult, espe- 

 cially during cold weather ; it makes difficult accurate sampling 

 and thereby tends to yield incorrect tests; and it contains too 

 small an amount of milk solids to properly protect the fat 

 globules against mutilation and injury during pasteurization 

 and churning. It is desirable to produce somewhat richer cream 

 in summer than in winter to prevent excessive fermentation in 

 summer and difficult handling in winter. 



When a more exact per cent of fat is desired, as is the 

 case of cream sold as sweet cream direct to the consumer, or 

 used in the manufacture of ice cream, the definite richness is 

 usually most conveniently secured by standardization of the 

 cream after separation. 



The knowledge and control of conditions which regulate 

 the richness of the cream produced on the farm, is of unques- 

 tionable importance. The cream test reported by the creamery 

 to its patrons is one of the guiding factors which sways the 

 cream producer for or against the reporting creamery. There 

 is no one factor, except possibly open dishonesty, that is so 

 potent of disorganizing and demoralizing the cream supply 

 territory of a creamery, as a repetition of changes in the re- 

 ported cream tests of successive deliveries of cream from the 

 same patron. This fact is largely due to the usual ignorance 

 on the part of the average cream patron of the numerous con- 

 ditions under his own control and not under the control of 

 the creamery, which may cause the richness of the cream and, 

 therefore, the test to vary and yet, when the tests do vary the 

 producer is tempted to accuse the creamery of reporting incor- 

 rect tests and being unfair in its dealings. 



In some cases these accusations are justified, but in the 

 great majority of instances the variations in the tests are due 

 to variations in the richness of the cream caused by irregular- 

 ities incident to the operation of the farm separator. The fol- 

 lowing are the chief factors controlling the richness of the 

 cream : 



1. Position of cream screw or skim milk screw 



2. Richness of milk 



