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 quality 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 quality of butter re- 
ceived from both was poorer than that which would have been 
obtained from the whole milk if kept separate. 
2. Kind of Market.—If a creamery operator is working 
strictly for quality, 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 establish 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 quality of milk, skim-milk, or whole 
milk, and stirring the mixture thoroughly improves the quality 
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 
