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American Milk- Condensing Factories. 
Process of Condensing. 
In some of the recently erected factories an improvement has 
been made in heating tanks, in cooling vats, and in the manner of 
arranging these appliances, whereby the milk can be manipulated 
with more ease, or be turned to other purposes besides condensing. 
The plans of factories previously given are arranged for the con- 
densing process alone. The new factories are more elaborate in 
their arrangements, and combine all the conveniences of the. 
cheese and butter factories, as well as those for condensing milk. 
I shall presently describe one of these establishments, the best of 
its kind in America, and designed to be a model in all its internal 
machinery and appliances. Meanwhile, the general features of 
the condensing process may be briefly stated. The milk is 
delivered at the factory in small cans, holding about 40 quarts 
each. They are filled quite full, and have a tight-fitting cover. 
It is understood, of course, that the treatment of the milk at 
the farm has been in accordance with the rules previously given. 
Then, as the cans are placed upon the factory platform, the covers 
are removed, and each is subjected to a rigid scrutiny by the fac- 
tory manager, with a view to discover any imperfection. Imper- 
fect milk can often be detected immediately after removing the 
can-cover, from its odour ; but if it is left for a few moments thus 
exposed to the atmosphere the odour escapes, so that the milk, 
though imperfect, may pass undetected. The examination of the 
milk as it comes to the factory, and the facility of the manager in 
determining its condition, will have much to do in securing a 
uniform good product ; and it is important that this matter should 
be well understood; The examination should be rigid, and the 
manager should have sufficient decision of character to reject 
every sample of milk which is not found to be in good order. 
After the milk is received it passes through a strainer to the 
receiving-vat ; from this it is conducted off, going through another 
strainer into the heating-cans, each holding about 20 gallons ; 
these cans are set in hot water, and the milk is held in tjiem till it 
reaches a temperature of 150° to 175° Fahr. ; it then goes through 
another strainer into a large vat, at the bottom of which is a coil 
of copper pijie, through which steam is conducted, and here the 
milk is heated up to the boiling point. Then the best (]ualityof i 
white granulated sugar is added, in the proportion of one and a i 
quarter pound of sugar to the gallon of milk, when it is drawn 
into the vacuum-pan, having a capacity of condensing three 
thousand quarts or more at a time. The milk remains in the 
vacuum-pan subjected to steam for about three hours, during 
which time about seventy-five per cent, of its bulk in water is . 
removed, when it is drawn off into cans, holding 40 (juarts J 
