74 MAINE STATE COLLEGE 



six quarts to-day six ounces should betaken for the sample, and if 

 he furnishes ten quarts to-morrow ten ounces should be taken for 

 the sample. 



These samples can be kept sweet in an ice chest for a week and 

 then be thoroughly mixed together and tested. The result will 

 accurately represent the per cent, of fat in the cream for that week. 

 Many creameries cannot afford the time to collect samples and 

 make tests so often, and it is not necessary if the patrons will ex- 

 ercise a little care to keep the water surrounding the milk cans 

 always at the same temperature as nearly as possible. A test 

 made once in two or three weeks will then suffice and give a suffi- 

 ciently accurate basis on which to value the cream. It would be 

 advisable to take samples for three successive days and mix them 

 for the test. This would give a more accurate result than if only 

 one sample was taken. 

 Performing the test. 



With sweet cream that is not frothing, the method does not vary 

 from that described for milk when the test bottle like No. 2 is 

 used. A copy of these directions is furnished with each machine 

 so a description is not necessary here. In adding hot water to the 

 test bottles the first time, I find it most convenient to fill them to 

 about the 20 per cent, mark, then one can easily see how much to 

 add the second time to bring the fat where it can be measured. The 

 measuring pipette is the same as that used for milk except it has 

 two marks on it. The lower one (17.6) is to be used in measur- 

 ing milk, the upper one (18) for measuring cream. From this 

 latter mark the pipette delivers 18 grams of cream, raised in 

 cans submerged in cold water, with sufficient accuracy for all prac- 

 tical purposes. For testing richer cream, a correction must be 

 made because of the weight of cream delivered by the pipette 

 decreases as the per cent, of fat increases. 



For a scale reading of 25 per cent, add 0.15 per cent. ; for a 

 scale reading of 30 per cent, add 0.3 per cent. Readings between 

 or above these may be corrected proportionately. 



If the cream to be tested has become sour and curdled so it can 

 not be handled with a pipette, it can be rendered mobile by placing 

 the jar containing it in water and heating the whole to about 125° 

 F., then passing the cream through fine wire gauze, (a flour sieve 

 will do very well for the purpose.) Any lumps that remain on the 

 sieve may be rubbed through with the finger. After passing the 

 warm cream through the sieve two or three times, it will after 



