846 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 May, 1899. 
Another method was that each supplier’s cream was churned separately, 
and was paid for according to the weight of butter produced. 4 
This, however, necessitated an extra organisation of the dairy, caused 
great confusion, a great deal of bookkeeping, and resulted in the end in the 
factory turning out a very variable product. 
Again, cream itself was bought, but for above reasons—namely, that an 
apparently poor, thin cream may be very rich in fat and vice versi—it also is 
not to be depended upon. 
But to proceed. This up-to-date system has been made possible by the new 
rapid fat-testing machines which have of late years proved such a boon. It 
must, however, be considered from two points of view ; firstly, as to the value 
of the milk when butter is made; and then as toits cheese-making value. 
BUTTER-MAKING, 
We devoted an article a short time back to composite milk testing, so that 
very little need be said on that point; suffice to just briefly enumerate that each 
man’s milk, as delivered to the factory twice daily, is weighed, and a propor- 
tionate sample to the quantity supplied taken and put into a large stoppered 
bottle with some preservative. This is done daily until the end of the week, 
when the bottle is well shaken and the fat determined by a Gerber apparatus. 
This gives us the all-important factor—namely, the average percentage of 
fat in the milk for the week. It is now easy to value the milk from the butter- 
maker’s point of view, paying only for the fat, the skim milk being returned’ 
to the farmer each day as the milk is separated. Now, all the fat, unfortu- 
nately, cannot be recoyered from the milk, as in the process of separation, and 
again in churning, a loss, although a small one, does occur. ‘This loss has, 
therefore, to be taken into account and deducted from the total percentage of 
fat in the milk. 
It has been found by practical experience that if the work of separating 
and churning be carried out properly, 2 per cent. is the loss of fat experienced 
in both these operations. Let us, therefore, calculate out the value of 100 Ib. 
of milk to show how it worked out. Suppose the milk contains 4 per cent. of 
fat, the first thing to be done is to subtract the loss, which is 2 per cent., for 
separating and churning. 
100 lb, milk contain 4 lb. of fat. 
4:0—2 equals 3°8, but as butter is not pure fat but has in its composition 
water, casein, salt, &c., an addition can be made to the fat. 
3°8 lb. of fat will give, allowing for 124 per cent. water, &c.: 
100 x 8°8_4.3° oy slightly over 44 Ib. of 
87°5 butter. 
Now, suppose the factory is able to pay the same price per Ib. of pure fat 
in the milk as is got for the butter, the water and other material containedin 
the butter giving extra weight sufficient to pay for working expenses in the 
form of labour, salt, paper, packing, rent, depreciation, &c., our 100 Ib. of 
milk would come out as follows :— 
Sede 
4% lb. of fat at 1s. wt nse Pres dee 
90 lb. skim milk and butter milk, valued : 
at 1d. for 10 lb. (a gallon)... an O 
Totals .. 5 O for 100 lb. milk, or 6d. a 
gallon. 
In many cases the skim milk is returned to the farmer, so in that case the 
fat only is valued and paid for, which in the above instance would amount to 
5x4. pe gallon. 
It the factory be a co-operative one, it is desired to pay as much per lb. 
for the fat in the milk as is possible, and at the same time pay expenses. If 
ee 
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