American Butter Factories. 
21 
Again, the factories are able to obtain a larger pri(;e, bocause 
it costs the dealer no more to purcliase the; 100 dairies combineil, 
than it would to purchase an individual dairy, and the uniformity 
and reliability of the product does not entail the losses that are 
constantly occurring in different small lots by reason of inferior 
quality. The factories, too, as we have previously remarked, 
relieve the farmer and his family from a great deal of drudgery, 
and unless the work can be done by members of the family, who 
cannot be employed profitably at other labours, it is a matter 
of economy to have the butter and cheese made at the factory, 
since what would take 100 hands scattered over the country to 
do, is performed in the same time by tliree or four, when the 
milk is worked up together in one place. 
The only serious complaint against the factory-system is in 
hauling the milk. This has been obviated in many instances, by 
establishing a route of milk-teams, where milk is delivered for 
the season by the payment of a small sum. 
The Skim Cheese. 
We have referred to the manufacture of "skim cheese" as a 
part of the butter-factory system. We have said that the cream 
is dipped from the milk while it is sweet, and that the latter 
then goes into the milk-vats for making " skim cheese." 
It should be remarked that at the butter factories the quantity 
of milk to be manipulated is usually much smaller than at the 
cheese factories. In making a fancy product it is found ad- 
visable that tlie delivery of milk be kept within moderate bounds, 
say from 300 to 400 cows. The factory milk-vats are all essenti- 
ally alike in form and size. They hold from 500 to 600 gallons. 
There is a great variety of heating apparatus, boilers, steamers, 
tanks for hot water, and what is termed " self-heaters," that is, 
with fire-box attached to, and immediately below, the milk-vat. 
This kind of heater is very popular at the butter factories, as 
i it consumes but little fuel, is easily managed, and does as good 
work as the best. 
The ordinary heater is constructed separately from the vat, 
and consists of wrought-iron pipes, screwed together in such a 
manner as to form a fire-chamber, and present a large amount 
of heated surface (Figs. 13 and 14). 
Where a boiler and engine are used, power is afforded fo 
driving the churns, and in this respect this system must prove 
most convenient. Still, as the expense is considerably more 
than for the self-heater, both in the first cost and for fuel, many 
prefer the latter. We give figures of two kinds of heaters that 
are very largely in use (Figs. 13 to 16). 
The factory vat (Fig. 15) is constructed on same principle as that 
