1
K
, , .
II I
II I I I
Clean Milk for Chicago
We have had a great deal to say
In the past about the unclean condition
of the milk that goes to Chicago and
other great clUes. Let It not be sup ,
posed that there 'Is not being a constant .
tant Improvement In this matter and
that Chicago Is not receiving some
clean milk also. Last week a representative . .
sentaUV of the Farmers' Review vis.
Ited a bottling plant at Barrington ,
Illinois. This plant Is a now one just
opened by the Bowman Company of
Chicago and Is the third one of the
kind belonging to this company , the
other two being I1t Crystal Lake and
Elburn. The one at Barrington began
operations on the first day of May
and at the time of being visited had
been running but three days. It will
pay anyone Interested In the produc ,
tHm and Ute handling of milk to visit
this plant , or , In fad , any of the three
plants mentioned ; for he will receive
a valuable object lesson In the han
dung of milk for human _ consumption
With Ute exception of pasteurhatlon ,
nothing Is left undone to make the
milk absolutely clean. Mr. Pock , vice
president ! of the company , told the
writer that the reason pasteurization
was not practiced was because the
other means of insuring Clean milk are
so effective ' that the pasteurization
JOGS not seem to be necessary. This
la the claim also of Mr. Gurler , whose
milk Is acknowledged to be about as
pure as It Is possible to get milk.
. S a
The bottling plant at Barrington represents -
resents an Investment of about ' 30 , .
000 , .and'is now receiving about 20,000
pounds of mUle per day , from 43 pa-
trons. The establishment has a capacity .
Ity of 50,000 pounds a day , and the I I
company hopes to have 100 men
bringing milk before the summer Is
over. It must be remembered that the
first part of May Is not a very good
time for the production of milk. The
, supply that Is being received now Is
getting the same attention that It
J
would receive If it were double what
It 1s. As soon as It comes Into the
building It Is run through the separators .
tors and Is Immediately remixed In
the same proportion as before It was
separated The Cunning through the
separator IH to take out the slime and
dirt that will always be found in the
milk in a greater or less degree. The
milk III then run over an immense
milk cooler and reduced to about 40
degrees , the pipes at the cooler being
filled with brine at a temperature of
about 15 degrecs. A part at the milk
Is bottled at once and the surplus Is
run Into a great tank In the refrigera
tor , the tank having a capacity of
about 1,900 gallons In this tank Is an
agitator that is continually stirring
the milk. The temperature of the fA-
frlgerator chamber is about 40 do-
grecs. When the milk is put Into
bottles the latter are at once sealed
and packed in cases that hold one
dozen each. There is a large machine .
chine for breaking ice and from this
the ice is packed over the tops of the
boxes , and these are placed In special
refrigerator car , several of which are
set aside for the exclusive use of the
Bowman Company In fact , eight cars
of milk are sent to Chicago every
day by this company from their three
plants. Ae soon as Ute hundreds of
boxes of bottled milk
are placed In a
car an Immense canvas Is at once
drawn over them This keeps the
temperature around Ute cases uniform :
In summer and winter , and It Is not
found necessary to use Ice In the cars ,
though the latter are built for that
purpose. The Is
canvas therefore a
great money saver , and this idea
might well be adapted to use in our
farm refrigerators or In cooling rooms
where ice la much exposed and melts
rapidly. The canvas also keeps out
Ute excessive cold in the winter and
prevents the temperature around the
bottles taIlIng to the freezing point.
Milk Is not received from all kinds
of farms The company has a rigid
system at inspection and is exacting , I
as to stable conditions and the teed
of the cows , handling of the milk and
the like Inspectors make frequent
vlss ! ! to the farms , and In the case of
Barrington the farms are all carefully
Inspected by Mr. Peck himself , who lean
an M. ) + D. No diseased cow Is per-
mitted to remain in Ute herds that are
being used for milk production , and a
contract 1sl7 signed by Ute milk pro-
ducer to conform to certain require-
ments , This , Mr. Peck declares , is
the very foundation of all work of im
proving the milk supply. He does not
believe that goverment Inspectors can
have much effect on the situation , for
they cannot enforce their orders without -
out a suit at law. But when a man
hRS a contract the company with
whom he hal the contract has always
the weapon in its hands for forcing
'
compliance with its orders. If he does
not comply with the regulations he
can be instantly punished by the com-
pany declaring the contract void. In
this contract the milk producer agrees
that he "will keep his cows In clean ,
well.dralned and well.ventlated ] stables -
bles ; that they shall have access to ,
pure water , and shall be supplied with
an abundance of good wholesome food
that will produce milk of standard
richness , that they shall not be fed
turnips , wet malt , ensilage , or any
food that will Impart a disagreeable
flavor to the milk ; that no milk shall
bo delivered at the factory from a cow
that shall have calved less than eight
days previously , or from any cow , that
may be In Ute slightest degree dls-
eased. The milk Is to be drawn In the
most cleanly manner and shall be immediately -
medlatey ] cooled in a cold water tank
In which the water Is not over 60 degrees -
grees , and shall be kept at that tom
perature tm delivered at the factory ,
at which time It shall not have
reached JL temperature of more than
60 degrees , The milk In transit to
the factory shall be
protected by a
canvas covering , " There are other
numerous requirements , among them
one admitting the company's agents
and inspectors to the premises at all
Umes. Mr. Peck says that the reason
he objects to the farmers feeding
silage Is that he cannot depend on
them feeding it In the right conditioner
or not keeping It around the stables
when the milk is being drawn , in
which case the flavor Is sure to get
into the milk. He says also ] that he
does not allow the patrons to pasture
their herds on clover for more than a
limited period per day , as too much
clover flavors the mUk. We think
some at our scientists will take issue
with Mr. Peck In this regard
. a .
The manner of handling the bottles
Is most perfect , and the washing and
sterilizing s ems almost excessive.
The bottles as soon as received are
placed In a great machine that is
called a soaking machine. It is a great
wheel with places for hundreds of bot.
tieR , and while dirty bottles arc going
under the water on one side others
are coming up on the other well-
soaked and a third full of water. The
bottles are scrubbed out by a man
with a circular brush , after which
they are placed on another machine
and jets of hot water thrown Into
them from below and upon them from
above. A good many bottles are broken - .
en at this point , being unable to stand
the heat to which the hot water sub- -
jects them. They are then loaded onto .
to wheeled racks at the rate of 720
bottles per rack and run Into a great
steaming room , after which the door
of Ute rapm is closed and they are exposed -
posed to a temperature of live steam
for 15 minutes. If this won't sterilize
them nothing will. Bottles so treated
are certainly safe vessels ; In which to
put pure milk. One trouble 'ulUt the
rA
. .
bottling system has been that the bottles -
ties brought back disease trom the
houses of the milk takers , and the disease -
ease germs JIved through the Imperfect -
fect washings to get Into the new lot
at milk and carry disease again Mr.
Pock says that unless the bottles are
properly sterilized the bottling system -
tem Is worth less than the old dipping
system. As to bottles , it may be interesting .
terestlng to know that the loss of betties -
ties is very great Mr Peck ' said that
they had used $800 worth at bottles to
convey the milk during the three days
In which the factory had been In oper-
alien , and that the loss In bottles 15
about S 1.3 per cent per day , or 100
per cent every thirty days. Tht2 ( : !
means that Ute company must pur
chase an entire new set of bottles ev
cry month This loss amounts to UO ; ;
000 per year for the Bowman Company
alone. The bottles are not all broken
Many of them disappear In Ute houses !
of Ute patrons. It Is assumed that they
are found to be very convenient for
the putting up of jams , preserves and
pickles. But after all , Ute consumers
have to pay for them In an advanced
price for milk. The same milk tha :
used to 3ell for six .
cents a quart un-
bottled now sells for 7 cents '
per quart.
bottled. The people demand their
milk this way and will still ask for
bottled milk when In future years It
goes up to 8 and 10 cents per quart ,
as it has done In eastern cities and
as it is certain to do in Chicago. The
loss to the bottling Is
company not
only In disappearing and broken bot-
tles. It costs 50 per cent more in rail.
road freight to convey milk In bottles
than it did In cans
a a . .
- .
Mr. Peck says that the one thing he
would like to get rid of Is dirt. . The
man that Is producing the milk on the
farm finds it extremely hard to do
this. If he had enough milkers so
that he could spend his time bossing
the job he could get pure milk. But
he can't hire enough milkers to per
mlt him to do this , and has to do much
of Ute milking himself. If he does
not like the work of some milker he
dares Bay little to him about it , for
hired men hate to milk so badly that
they say "good.by" on the least provo-
cation. A farmer
dislikes to lose a
good hired man even if ! he is not an
Ideal milker This 18 only one phase
of Ute farm labor problem that Is al. ,
ways with us.-Farmers' Review.
Quaker Beauty Crab
The Virginia Station has been experimenting ,
perlmentlng with this variety of crab
hpple , and 'in a report says ot It :
This variety docs not appear to be
widely disseminated ; it Is recommended -
mended by Thomas for plantlllg In ! the
West. One of Ute trees has made
weak growth , but the other 10 moderately
ately vigorous ; forms a roundish
head ; limbs are stocky and at scraggy
growth. The largest tree measures
21 Inches In circumference at base ,
and 19 inches at head Apparently
free from disease. First bloom In
1892 ; bore 1,3 bushel handsome fruit
the same season. Bore a heavy crop
of fruit In 1895 , but since that-time
the crops have been very light. Fruit
large , color straw yellow ground
washed with delicate rose on ex.
posed cheek , not showy. Flesh creamy
white , firm , crisp , but not as rich as
that of Transcendant. This variety
has not been productive enough to
warrant us in recommending it for
general planUng.
We are becoming 110 well acquainted
with fire blight that it will not be
many years before we will learn how
to prevent It being disseminated. The
most natural method would seem to
be to cover the Infected trees with
whitewash or some oUter wash that
would prevent insects in the spring
tram feeding on the Infected sap and
thus conveying the spores to healthy
trees. With the pumps for throwing
'
whitewash , this should not be a dIM
cult matter.
Most sandy soils are leachy and
need organic matter to help hold both
the moisture and the fertility.
I
The Dairy Well
,1
The well on the dairy farm Is a fan
tor of importance , though it frequent- '
; t'
. . . .
ly is , .hsrdly'mentioned in the consid- . -1
eratfon of dairy topics. Frequently !
the condition ot the well makes the
dairy a success 01' a falluro. To 1l1ua- ,
trat. . At a creamery of which the
I writer knows , mUk 18 being received i
from over 100 patrons . AU of these , U
with the exception of two , brine their fi \
milk every day , while the two excep- ,
bring their milk every exceptions I
the Tear round. Being asked If the
milk from these two patrons did not
make a good deal of trouble , the butter
maker replied that he had never had
the least trouble with them. They bad ion i
on their farms exceptionally cold
springs of water , the thermometer , , .rs I .
when placed In the water showlnK a i
temperature ! of 48. With such a temperature - !
perature the farmers found It easy to
cool the milk down to a point where '
'It ' would keep sweet for two days . " .
. . "
_ . - -
There 18 a zone of earth that has always - y
ways the same temperature the year ' ,
around In Northern Illinois this zone 1
( called the zone of thermal equilibrium j
brium- ) begins at a depth of about
twenty feet and continues to a depth
of about eighty feet. The temperature -
ture runs at about 48 to 60 degrees
. the year around. It Is evident , there. , '
fore , that a well sunk to a depth of
eighty feet wilt baTe water that will " !
be very cold . and water from such a ;
well will never need Ice to make It '
serviceable in the dairy. Such water
Is not only' cold but generally VOlT
, free from hrapurIUes. : There are many
welle on dairy farms and other farms
that are too shallow. They go down
to water and then stop , the owner
thinking that water Is water and that
If he , has water that Is all that Is
necessary. But It should be remem
-1
bored that the temperature of the
water Is a matter ot very great importance -
portance for all purposes of the dairy
and for drinking In the honsehold.
The well should be deep that it may ,
yield cold water. It Is dimcult to figure .
ure out the money value of a well
that makes Ice UDnecesaary. There Is
not only the saving In the cost of ice ,
but the enhanced .1.0 of the dairy
products made with the assistance ot
such water , and to this must be added
the convenience and saving of time.
The dairy should be so 101 nted that
nothing of a vegetable nature can
soak Into it. Investigations have .
shown that many ot the had flavors In J
butter have come from the water In
which the butter was washed. There ? i '
are a good many wells now supplying ] l. . , 'i
water for use in the dairy that should
be abl1ndoned. It will not cost much , j '
I to locate a new well , especially when '
the soil Is of such a nature that the '
well may be a driven one. The 'l '
well Is , of . . . . . . . . a hard ! ' ! ! ' AWnl" dug tn f' J
, - - - - _ _ _ "U
manage , as Its cost Is considerable. : . .1 ,
If it strikes ledge that Is the end of It ,
for in carrying a well Into the solid '
rock the COlt Is prohlb1UTe. It is a I' ,
mistake for the farmer to suppose , ; '
that the groun'd" acts as a great filter I
to take out all kinds of matter that
tends to soak down into the well. . , .1
Its filtering properties seem to be 1I1J:1. ] : t j
Itad to the nitrification processes that I
are constantly going on In the ground . "I
under normal condition. But In times
of great freshets , WaD the ground 11
.
filled with water , this prooea does set f
I seem to act wIth .umclent rapidity to ' 1
"
protect the wen from receiving aU ? ! ' /i . ,
kinds of
impurities , for the reason f
that the movement of water in' the . _ . _ . 1
Boll Is then accelerated. It mar cost ' . " ' . _ I
something to locate a well a hundred
feet from the buildings and have to.
carry the water In pipes under the
ground to the milk house and the
kitchen , but 10 a great many instances
this w111 have to be done , if pure
water Its to be obtained. It will prove I
to be a good Inv tment . In the ond. I
' - - -
Ordinarily It Is better for a person
to stick to pure bred stock In the de- ltt
velar-meat of a poultry establishment. 11 ! I
1' (