Testing and Handling Dairy Products

During recent years there has been a widespread demand for information on the various phases of testing dairy products for per cent of butterfat. These requests have come chiefly from farmers who desire to know how to test the cream from their separators, and the milk from their cows for percent of fat. The greatest demand for information along this line has perhaps come from the men who intend to operate, or also operating cream buying stations. These men for various reasons are seldom able to leave their regular business to take a course at the dairy school. Patrons of creameries or of cr1eam stations sometimes complain that they do not receive the same test for their cream from week to week. Not knowing the different factors that control the richness of cream from hand separator, the patron concludes that the buttermaker or buyer does not know how 1to test, or that be is knowingly giving too low, a test. Consumers are more 1and more demanding quality in food products, and this is especially true of butter. The buttermaker must have the highest quality of cream if he is to produce first class butter. This bulletin is intended to give in, as simple a manner as possible information that will enable the former, buttermaker or cream buyer to test milk or cream correctly under South Dakota conditions. The factors that regulate the richness of cream from a hand separator are explained so that a farmer may know what to expect from his separator. The necessary details in producing a desirable quality of cream are set forth so that the farmer will know how to obtain first class cream