72 



Butter Blending in Normandy. 



Vertical blenders for small mills working by motor 

 power 220 lbs. of butter per hour, cost 8/.: 660 lbs. per hour 

 17/. 12s. Those in use at Valognes can work 2 J tons per 

 hour, and cost 60/. each. The mangle for small mills- 

 working 220 lbs. of butter per hour costs 17/. The 

 machines in use at Valognes work nearly 2 tons per 

 hour, and cost 140/. 



These last-named blenders are useful in dealing with 

 hard butter, which often contains small nodules of 

 greater consistency than the rest. Those remaining in 

 the butter untouched through the first two blenders would, 

 by fermentation, cause marbling of the butter around them,, 

 of course depreciating its value. The rollers by squeezing- 

 the butter flat remove this defect. 



Several sizes are made between those given above in the 

 three kinds of blending machines. 



Lastly, the butter is rolled to the moulding machine r 

 which cuts it into cubes of equal weight and size. The 

 machines in use for hand power cost 1/. 12s. Those 

 worked by motor power, capable of turning out 300 cubes- 

 of half a kilo (i t lb.) per hour, cost 7/. 12s. 



The wrapping in paper bearing the "Isigny" mark, and 

 packing in wood boxes containing 20 cubes of half a kilo, 

 complete the process. 



The glass-covered tables on wheels are very convenient, 

 and they wash easily. They cost 5/. 3s. 6d. Hot w T ater 

 boilers for 1 50 quarts are sold at 7/. 3s. 6d. Trucks with 

 gutta-percha tyred wheels cost 2/. 8s. The Normandy 

 barrel-churns for hand power vary in price from 

 2/. 3s. 6d. to make 2*2 lbs. of butter, up to 10/. to make 120 

 lbs. of butter. 



Motor-power churns working 50 quarts of cream cost 9/. 

 The prices vary in progression up to 24/. for churns, all 

 complete, capable of working 400 quarts of cream at a time- 



The creameries and butter factories started in La 

 Manche do not appear to have worked as well as 

 was expected. The experience of the Cherbourg factory 

 has been most unsatisfactory, the loss for last year 

 reaching 1,000/. The cost of plant and of working* 



