SAMPLING MILK AND CREAM 131 



misleading tests. 1 Then again, the established practice among 

 the majority of creameries to pay the farmer for each individual 

 shipment of cream precludes the practicability of holding the 

 samples and makes necessary prompt testing of the daily 

 samples. 



In the case of direct deliveries or shipments of cream by 

 the farmer to the creamery or cream station, it is customary 

 to stir the cream with a stout stirring rod previous to sampling. 

 Pouring the cream from one can to another will also insure thor- 

 ough mixing and should be resorted to especially when the can 

 is too full to be stirred without danger of spilling. Under all 

 ordinary conditions, however, stirring is more practical and con- 

 sumes less time than pouring. After the cream is properly 

 mixed, a small sample is taken by transferring the cream with 

 a small cone-shaped or cup-shaped dipper into a small sample 

 tube or jar, which is immediately tightly sealed. It is customary 

 to place the dipper into a can containing hot water after each 

 dip, so as to rinse it and facilitate the sliding of the thick cream 

 of the next can into the sample jar. The use of a cold dipper 

 would cause the cream to stick to it and thus delay the work 

 of sampling. These cream sample dippers should have a small 

 hole in their bottom in order to facilitate rapid and complete 

 escape of water when the dipper is removed from the hot water 

 and before it is dipped into the cream. The sampling is best 

 done while the cans are still on the floor and before they are 

 placed on the scales, as the stirring jars the scales and shortens 

 their life. 



In the case of the route system, as usually practiced, 

 the sampling has to be done on the route wagon by 

 the hauler. At best the sampling of the farmer's cream on 

 the route, under diverse and often very unfavorable weather 

 conditions is an exacting problem that requires adequate, prac- 

 tical equipment for reliable work. This equipment should con- 

 sist of a well-made spring scale, capacity 60 pounds, for weigh- 

 ing the cream; a weigh pail in which each farmer's cream is 

 weighed separately, a properly constructed combined stirrer and 

 sampler, consisting of a heavy iron rod which terminates at its 



i Hunziker, Mills and Spitzer. Testing Cream for Butterfat. Purdue Bui- 

 letin No. 145, 1910, 



