CREAMERIES AND FACTORIES 139 



cream-supplier, however, is not required to 

 deliver his produce daily. He removes the 

 cream from the milk on his own farm and 

 retains it, in accordance with the regulations, for 

 perhaps a couple of days, taking care to mix 

 every skimming carefully with the bulk. Thus 

 the journeys are diminished in number, while the 

 weight carried on each is incomparably less. 

 In supplying the factory, too, the farmer either 

 parts with the separated milk, which is a great 

 loss to his stock, or he buys it back at a price 

 which is often higher than it ought to be, while 

 in all cases it has to be carried back to the farm. 

 Formerly cream was purchased in America at 

 so much per inch, but as cream differs in quality, 

 this was found to be an unsatisfactory system. 

 Latterly, the principle of churning the cream of 

 each contributor separately has been adopted, 

 with payment in accordance with the butter 

 produced. I have had the advantage of inspect- 

 ing creameries where this plan has been carried 

 out, and of ascertaining from the books that not 

 only was the quantity of butter produced very 

 often exceptionally small, but its market value 

 varied enormously, sometimes falling as low as 



