MILK-PLANT OPERATION. 



33 



dealers seem to favor the method of dumping all returns and dis- 

 posing of the cream for butter and ice-cream purposes. A second 

 grade of buttermilk obtained by making butter from this cream can 

 also be disposed of to bakeries. In this way returns are handled at 

 small expense, and the danger of old milk going out to the trade from 

 this source is eliminated. Using returned milk a second time on 

 delivery wagons is a practice to be discouraged. 



Among the methods used to keep the returned goods as low as 

 possible are the following: 



Use the quantity of goods returned by the route salesman as one of the points on 

 which his commission is based. This, however, should be counterbalanced by a 

 commission on sales so that there will be an incentive for the driver to take out enough 

 to supply his customers. 



Give yjrizes of diffierent amounts each month to drivers who return the least during 

 the month. 



Require drivers to pay 1 cent per bottle for all goods returned above 6 per cent of 

 that taken out. 



SHRINKAGE IN HANDLING MILK. 



The shrinkage of milk in handling is an important item and every 

 effort should be made to keep it as low as possible. The follo\\ang 

 table gives the shrinkage for a series of days at three plants. 



Table 11. — Shrinkage of milk at city plants. 





DaUy 

 receipts 

 at plant. 



Quantity- 

 bottled. 



Daily loss. 



Plant No. 1 



Gallons. 

 1,221 

 1,000 

 1,200 

 1,100 



Gallons. 



1,184 



970 



1, 1G2 



1,071 



Gallons. 

 37 

 24 

 38 

 29 



Per cent. 

 3.0 





2.4 

 3.2 

 2.0 



Average 



1,130 



1,098 



32 



2.8 







Plant No. 2 



1,324 

 1,295 

 1,492 

 1,395 



1,299 

 1,274 

 1,408 

 1,385 



25 

 21 

 24 

 10 



1.9 





l.G 

 1.6 



Average 



1,370 



1,356 



20 



1.4 







Plant No. 3 



1,049 

 1,021 

 1,087 



1,004 



979 



1,040 



45 

 42 

 41 



4.3 





4.1 

 3.8 



Average 



1,052 



1,009 



43 



4. 1 







At one small plant where the milk was received by weight and pas- 

 teurized in a vat the loss in pasteurizing and bottling was as follows: 



Quarts. 



Milk received, 1,254 pounds 583 



Received from filler 572 



Shrinkage 11 



or 1.9 per cent. 



As the milk was received by weight, this loss was nearly all due to 

 carelessness. By taking special care for one day, the plant operator 

 was able to reduce the shrinkage to 0.53 per cent. This was the actual 

 loss in pasteurizing and bottling when the milk was handled carefully. 



