70 THE STORY OF MILK 



largely populated by Scandinavian immigrants many 

 of whom were skilled butter-makers, educated in the 

 old countries. Even up to this day it is noticeable that 

 the list of prize winning buttermakers at the National 

 Dairy Shows and other exhibitions is largely made up 

 of Scandinavian names. In Minnesota, for instance, as 

 fine butter is now made as anywhere in the world. 



Dairy Butter. — In the early days of the industry 

 butter was made at home on the farm. The milk was 

 set in shallow vessels, — in the Holstein and Danish 

 dairies in wooden tubs 24 inches in diameter placed 

 on the stone or concrete floor in the milk-vault, a cool 

 cellar partly underground, — or in tin pans on the 

 pantry shelf. After 36 to 48 hours the cream was 

 skimmed off with a flat scoop, often both cream and 

 skim milk being sour. 



About 1860 the deep tin can was introduced, set in 

 cold running water or, where ice was available, in ice 

 water. This was a great improvement over the shallow 

 setting system. It was now possible to raise most of 

 the cream in 24 hours leaving not to exceed 34% 

 butter-fat in the skim milk, and to have both cream 

 and skim milk sweet. 



Centrifugal Creaming. — But the climax of perfection 

 was not reached until the separator (see under Cream) 

 was invented about 1879 and cream was raised in- 

 stantaneously. For a long time it was the object of 

 the manufacturers to produce power separators of larger 

 and larger capacity, handling from 6,000 to 10,000 

 lbs. of milk an hour. 



Co-operative Creameries were established, taking in 

 20,000 lbs. of milk and more a day. But in thinly 

 settled sections where the roads were poor it was ex- 



