32 MODERN BUTTER MAKING. 



hollowness in the top of the fat column (the menis- 

 cus) represents in the milk bottle about .2 per cent, 

 which is equal to the amount of fat which adheres 

 to the inside of the bottle. In order to have the 

 reading represent the total fat in the milk, the full 

 column of fat should be read. In ordinary creamery 

 practice, the meniscus of the milk tests is not usually 

 included in the reading. At the average creamery 

 the fat column is usually read from the bottom of 

 the fat column (a) to the bottom of the meniscus 

 (c). See Fig. I, Chap. V of Dairy Arithmetic. It is 

 claimed by most creamerymen that this reading is 

 necessary in order to get sufficient overrun. 



35. How some creamerymen read milk tests. It is 

 claimed by up-to-date creamerymen, who seem to be 

 close observers of their business transactions, that in 

 order to recover an amount of butter fat, plus me- 

 chanical losses and shrinkage, equal to the butter 

 fat bought in the cream, the whole meniscus must 

 not be included in the reading of either milk or 

 cream tests. Some claim that they have found that 

 in order to get the recently requested overrun, based 

 upon market returns of butter sold, either on milk 

 or cream, the whole meniscus in either case cannot 

 be included in the reading of the fat column. Also 

 that the reading should not be done at a lower tem- 

 perature than 110° P., nor higher than 130° F. At 

 a lower or higher temperature than those indicated 

 the fat column, it is claimed, is not in good condi- 

 tion for proper reading. 



