382 
Co-operative Dairies in Denmark. 
Besides this the quality and freshness of the products obtained 
in these establishments necessarily left much to be desired, and in 
the mixture of so many different butters the mediocre samples were 
the most numerous. The farmers who furnished them were perme- 
ated with ancient errors, and were quite ignorant of the improvements 
in the dairy industry which have followed scientific ideas as to the 
composition of milk. And, even if these were known, it would not 
have been possible for a single producer to erect plant much too 
expensive for the extent of his production. 
Let us add that as most of these farmers possessed only a small 
number of cows, they were obliged to preserve the cream several 
days before getting enough for a churning. This product was then 
exposed to the numerous alterations which are inevitable in small 
dairies, and as in any case it could not be of recent preparation, the 
butter made from it was inferior and variable in quality. 
The Mcelkerier, or creameries, succeeded to the butter factories. 
The establishment was situated in the centre of the milk -producing 
district, and two or three times a week the cream was carried there 
and immediately churned. It will be easily understood that this 
system, although much superior to the previous one, nevertheless 
eliminated only a portion of its drawbacks. 
It is true that the farmers gained time, not having to make 
butter and carry it to markets, perhaps at a distance. They found 
themselves, moreover, in direct communication with the manu- 
facturers, thus doing away with some intermediate profits. 
But, as apparatus for testing the quality of the cream was not in 
existence, it was difficult to control the value of each delivery. The 
sale of this product gave rise to inevitable errors, and the vendor 
was often victimised by receiving insufficient payment. 
The mixture of cream of different ages, amongst which much 
was stale and badly made and kept, constituted a material of uncertain 
quality, which could not yield butter of the first rank. 
These creameries were, however, prosperous enough, especially in 
Sweden, about 1877-78. As the requirements of the English market 
increased, this system ceased to be workable at a profit ; and as, on 
the other hand, it was not very beneficial to the farmer, it was sought 
to create establishments which should deal with the whole milk 
instead of the cream only. 
Thus arose the Foellesmoelkerier , whole-milk or dairy factories, 
which, like the preceding, belonged to a single proprietor, who took 
all the risks of the enterprise. They were founded directly the 
Centrifugal separator became a workable machine, and nearly all 
of them were furnished with these separators, despite the numerous 
apprehensions with which they were still regarded by the public. 
The milk, bought directly from the farmer, was treated with a 
view to obtain butter as the principal product. Some factories, 
however, made skim cheese as well, but most of them utilised the 
skim -milk and buttermilk for raising calves and for pig-feeding. 
The creation of these dairies marked a substantial progress in 
the butter industry of the northern countries. The manufacture of 
