CARE OF THE MACHINE 335 



thorough skimming. Some of the very close skimming 

 machines get that ability from the very high speed at which the 

 bowl is spun. 



2. Temperature of Milk. — Warm milk is more fluid than 

 cold milk and less viscid. Therefore, with any given speed of 

 bowl and flow of milk the small fat globules are going to be 

 most fully recovered or captured in the milk which is warm. 

 The same very small fat globules which would rise slowly and 

 with difficulty under the old gravity system will be the most 

 difficult to recover mechanically, therefore require a warm 

 fluid milk. 



3. Nature of the Milk. — The milk of some breeds of cows 

 contains fat globules of smaller size than that of others. The 

 large globule milk will skim slightly more easily, but not enough 

 to notice in practice. 



Stripper cows yield milk which is more viscid or slightly 

 thicker than fresh cows. Such milk should have both a warm 

 temperature and full speed for thorough work. 



Dry feed, that is hay and fodder in winter, without silage 

 or roots tends also to increase the difficulty of skimming. Milk 

 yielded on grass separates more easily than winter milk. 



Goats' milk is said to be very difficult to separate. 



4. Steadiness of Bowl. — The cream within the bowl is flung 

 outward with considerable force, therefore lies close against that 

 part of the whole mass which will eventually be delivered as 

 skim milk. This being time, there must be a fine line between 

 the cylindrical sheet of milk and cream which any vibration will 

 tend to destroy. A trembling bowl cannot skim as well as the 

 same would if it ran smoothly. 



A solid foundation and a perfectly level setting are essential 

 to best work. In northern sections it is advisable to set one 

 large or four smaller posts into the ground deep enough to go 

 below the frost line to prevent the separator being thrown out of 

 line by the heaving or bulging of the cement floor in winter. 



5. Care of the Machine — Many or most cream separators 

 are neglected. Water or milk is allowed to gain access to the 

 gear box and to remain until the cogs have rusted. Poor oil is 



