172 



FARM SEPARATORS 



barn. If the milk is separated in such a place it will absorb odors 

 and undesirable taints. The cream is not always taken care of 

 properly after it is separated. The separat<jrs may not be 

 cleaned well. A separator cannot be kept in good condition by 

 simply flushing out the bowl with cold water at the end of each 

 separation. It must be taken apart at the close of each skimming, 

 and all the [)arts must Ije washed thoroughly in lukewarm water, 

 and then scalded. The time and power required to skim the 



Fig. 54. — Sharpies separator and parts of bowl. 



milk and to care for the cream are in many instances regarded as 

 objections to the system. 



Thickness of Cream. — Most butter-makers at central plants 

 prefer cream containing about ,^0 to 40 per cent of fat. Such 

 cream is not thick enough to cause an>' inconwnience in sampling 

 and weighing. It can be diluted with a good starter and ripened 

 without becoming so thin as to produce unfavorable conditions 

 for churning. By some it is deemed advisable to skim even 

 thicker than this, up to 50 per cent. Cream containing this much 

 fat, however, is difficult to handle, especially during cold weather. 

 It becomes so stifl' that it is difficult to pour, and there is also 



