204 BUTTER-MAKING. 



of cream. If it comes in a poor condition, such as hand- 

 separator cream usually does, then the poorest cream should 

 be ripened by itself. Some maintain that the mixing of the 

 two kinds of cream is favorable, because, if the hand-separator 

 cream were churned separately, it would produce butter which 

 is very poor in quality, while, on the other hand, if the two 

 were mixed a better quahty as a whole would be obtained. 

 This is undoubtedly true; but evidently if the quality of 

 butter from the hand-separator cream was raised, that from 

 the whole milk was lowered, so that the quahty of butter re- 

 ceived from both was poorer than that which would have been 

 obtained from the whole milk if kept separate. 



2. Kmd of Market. — If a creamery operator is working 

 strictly for quahty, and the butter is sold on that basis, it 

 certainly would not be a good plan to mix the poor cream 

 with the better cream. On the other hand, if the butter is 

 sold on the market with no attempt to estabhsh a reputation, 

 no further aim than to get as much as possible out of the present 

 supply, then it might pay. By mixing the two it might be 

 possible to raise the quality so as to bring all of it on the market 

 at a trifle above "Creamery Extras "; while if the cream from 

 the whole milk were kept separate, perhaps no greater price 

 could be obtained for the butter produced from this better 

 cream. If the butter from the poor hand-separator cream 

 were placed on the market by itself, evidently it would not 

 command the same price as that made from the whole milk, 

 or the mixed lot either. As has been stated before, the mixing 

 of poor cream with a good quahty of milk, skim-milk, or whole 

 milk, and stirring the mixture thoroughly improves the quahty 

 of the butter in a marked degree. 



3. Amount of Cream.— If only a small amount of hand- 

 separator cream is being received, then usually it will not pay 

 to carry it through by itself. By experience the authors have 

 found that the best way to dispose of a comparatively small 

 amount, providing it is not too sour, is to empty it into a 

 receiving-vat with the milk, and stir it well, re-skim it and 



