482 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 27, 1S90, 
A DAIRY FACTORY. 
During the past ten years many efforts of a novel character 
have been made for the improvement and development of the 
resources of agriculture, especially by landlords whose interests are 
bound up in the land, and who have striven to do something to 
ameliorate the condition of farmer and labourer by enabling both 
classes to help themselves. Some failures there have been, and 
much so-called success has proved a very doubtful blessing indeed, 
but in the guise of dairy factories there can be no doubt that real 
assistance has been given to all who have been able to turn the 
special advantages which they offer to full account. Attention has 
already been called by us to Lord Hampden’s factory at Glynde, in 
Sussex, and in this paper an account of what is known as the 
Harleston Dairy Association will be given in sufficient detail to 
convey a clear idea of the cost of the establishment of such a 
factory upon a commercial footing as a going concern, and the 
apparatus required for such a purpose. 
The chief objection to such undertakings is the heavy pre¬ 
liminary outlay that is usually incurred about the building, as the 
outlay is so heavy that anything like interest upon the capital 
invested in it, to say nothing of profits, is impossible for a con¬ 
siderable time. At Harleston this difficulty has been avoided by 
turning an old building to account for the purpose, so that the 
entire outlay upon the building, fittings, steam engine, and dairy 
utensils did not exceed £600, which is not an excessive amount 
upon a factory which ensures a ready market and prompt payment 
for all or any of the milk of the neighbouring farmers. It does 
•more than this, for though the purchase of shares is quite optional, 
yet all who supply milk to the factory are invited to become 
shareholders if they become convinced that the business is likely 
to prove sound and profitable. 
The butter made is of such uniform excellence that it has met 
with a ready sale at Is. 4d. and Is. 5d. per lb., the demand for it far 
exceeding the supply, so that there is no probability of too much 
/milk being taken to the factory. There is a difficulty, however, 
and that is in the disposal of the separated milk, which is perfectly 
fresh and wholesome, and is offered for sale in Northampton at a 
nominal price, the object being not to make a profit, but rather to 
cover expenses upon this part of the business. Separated milk not 
sold has been used for pigs, and there can be no doubt that a porker 
trade might be built up in connection with the factory, which under 
good management should prove profitable. Provision would have 
to be made for breeding, as it would never answer to purchase pigs ; 
home-bred pigs of the small white breed being altogether best, and 
there is always a ready market for them at weights ranging from 
50 lbs. to 70 lbs. It is also obvious that a bacon factory might be 
added in due course, in which case a larger breed of pigs, such as 
middle whites, would be required of an average of about 300 lbs. 
The separation of milk as it is brought to the dairy renders a 
large building unnecessary, and milk pans are dispensed with alto¬ 
gether. The new milk is weighed as it is received, the weight 
being printed by the weighing machine, by which the “ churns ” 
are elevated to an upper floor, where the milk is emptied into a 
galvanised cistern, whence it flows by a pipe down into a Victoria 
separator driven by a steam engine, which also drives the barrel 
churn and the Danish butter worker. The milk passes from the 
separator through another pipe and a refrigerator into another 
cistern, whence it is drawn for use or sale. 
The factory is arranged in three parts, distinct from each other, 
yet so connected as to be easy of access and perfectly convenient. 
There are the engine house with only an outer entrance, so that 
steam and dust are quite shut off from the other parts ; the dairy, 
with separator, churn, and butter worker, and an upper floor for 
milk cisterns, and the milk room, with an outer door for the receipt 
and despatch of milk, so that traffic through the dairy is quite 
avoided. There are inner doors opening into the dairy and store¬ 
room from the milk room. The fittings of the storeroom consist 
of light iron racks on the walls to hold small slates, each just large 
enough to contain 15 lbs. of butter, so it will be seen that the 
working plant is a very simple affair. A Victoria milk-testing 
machine is worthy of attention, from its simplicity and certainty. 
It consists of a horizontal disc with some grooves in the upper 
side sufficiently deep to contain a small bottle of milk in each one. 
The bottles lie in the slots with the corked ends pointing to the 
centre, they are kept in position by a metal cap fastened to the disc, 
which is made to revolve with such rapidity by the turning of a 
handle connected with multiplying wheels, that the cream is forced 
to the inner end of the bottles, and the quality of the milk is seen 
at a glance. The principle is that of centrifugal force acting upon 
the milk, very much as it does in the cream separator and the 
instantaneous butter maker. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
A full flow of milk is difficult to maintain, as the cows are with¬ 
drawn altogether from the pasture, and much care is requisite to ensure 
that it is perfectly sweet, wholesome, and free from all taint from the 
food and water given to the cows, from unclean hands of milkers, dirty 
utensils, or foul odours in or near cowhouse or dairy. Really good 
butter depends so very much upon all these points having sufficient 
attention that we cannot urge upon home farmers too often the import¬ 
ance of close personal attention to every detail of management. The 
cows are now snugly housed in comfortable yards with deeD open 
lodges, a closed cowhouse for milking them in, and enough loose boxes 
for down calving and delicate cows. We always try to have at least one 
cow calving every month from the present time onwards into spring, a3 
this imparts freshness to the milk as nothing else can do. The dietary 
consists of the best meadow hay in the racks, a gallon of bran, and a 
few Carrots at each milking, and a moderate allowance of Cabbages once 
daily. All lodges are cleaned out thoroughly every morning, after the 
milking, while the cows are at the hay-racks, as then they settle down 
quietly upon the fresh clean litter for some time. 
Calves are all in snug quarters for winter, and especial care will be 
taken to prevent any tendency to a falling off in condition. There can 
be no doubt that a warm, yet well ventilated building, quite free from 
draughts, and kept thoroughly clean and well littered, is conducive both 
to the health and condition of calves. The food must be nourishing, 
yet not of an abnormally forcing nature, for many a fine “ bunch ” of 
lusty young beasts has been lost from black-leg caused by over-feeding. 
By all means induce calves to take solid food as early as possible, but 
milk and porridge are never out of place during the first twelve months 
of their existence. Some minced roots mixed with chaff and meal, and 
slightly salted, is good for them, and there can be no doubt that variety 
of food answers best. If closer attention were given to this important 
point we should not see calves and store beasts becoming so much 
trouble with itch towards spring as we so often do, and care should 
always be taken that they have access to rock salt. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
CAMDEN SQUARE, LONDON. 
Lat. 51° 32' 40" N. ; Long. 0° 8' 0" W. ; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 AM. 
IN THE DAY. 
a 
*3 
1890. 
November. 
Barome¬ 
ter at 329 
and Sea 
Level. 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
Temp, of 
son at 
1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
Dry. 
Wet 
Max. 
Min. 
Ill 
81111. 
On 
grass 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
In. 
Sunday. 
16 
30.292 
48.9 
47.6 
S.F.. 
46.2 
55.4 
4 >. 6 
55.4 
41.6 
— 
Monday. 
17 
30.399 
42.6 
42.6 
s.w. 
46.4 
52.8 
40.8 
65.6 
31.1 
— 
Tuesday .... 
18 
30.414 
52.1 
50.3 
S.w. 
46.1 
55.1 
41.2 
51.9 
86.2 
0.022 
Wednesday.. 
39 
30.472 
52.6 
51.9 
S.W. 
47.3 
55.8 
50.9 
57.4 
44.8 
— 
Thursday.... 
20 
30.499 
52.6 
52.2 
s.w. 
43.4 
5K.4 
51.3 
64.6 
43.3 
— 
Friday . 
2L 
30.240 
50.3 
48.3 
s.w. 
48.9 
f 3.9 
48.9 
58.2 
47.6 
0.032 
Saturday .... 
21 
30.179 
44.9 
42.7 
AV. 
47.9 
49.2 
39.4 
65.3 
32.3 
0.101 
30.356 
49.1 
47.9 
47.3 
54.1 
45.6 
60.9 
39.6 
0.155 
REMARKS. 
lfitb.—Overcast and glconv morning: drizzle la afternoon ; fair evening. 
17th.—Fog, rather dense till 10 A.M , then slight, and bright sunshine from 11.10 A.M. to 
3 30 p M.; foggy again in evening. 
18th .—Overcast and mild, with frequent drizzle. 
19 h.— Mild and dull. 
20th.—Mild and dull, with occasional drizzle. 
2Lst.—Fair, but sunless morning: drizzle and showers from 4 to 8 P.M.; bright night. 
22nd.—Bright f'cm sunrise to 11 A.M , then generally cloudy with spots of rmr, aud wot 
trorn 7 to 9 P M. 
Amild damp week, but with high barometer and small rainfal’.—G. J. SYMONS. 
