SEPARATOR OR RADIATOR.

Waikato Argus, Volume II, Issue 98, 23 February 1897, Page 2

SEPARATOR OR RADIATOR.

A cohkijsjl'ondknt writes to us as follows :

Some days ago a correspondent favoured you with the patentee's report, and his own opinion, upon the " Radiator " butter-maker. The " Farm and Home " for February gives a translation (fa long and interesting report of an official trial of this new method and a comparison of results with the now existing factory method. The enclosed cliping is, as you will see, the " Farm and Home " man's summary of results. You will also see that his opinion differs somewhat from the opinion which was furnished by the patentee or manufacturer, and which was endorsed by your correspondent. I have bad this by me tor some time, and hav? intended to send it to you for publication, but have not found the opportunity until now. Will you kindly give it publication, furnishing it with such introduction as appears to you to be suitable.

A perusal of the translation of the official report of the three series of trials of the two systems of butter making, viz., the separator and churn and the Radiator, supplies the answer to this question. The Radiator is a recent iuvention, by means of which butter is made direct fioui milk as soon as it is drawn from the cows.

The system in universal use in all progressive dairying countries comprises the cream separator and churn. With the latter system butter can be made either from sweet or newly separated cream, or from cream that has been permitted to ferment, ripen, or mature, as the process is variously termed. It bciny claimed by the Radiator Company tint this new process of butter making will supersede the separator and churn, and three days' eompatative trials of the two sys'ems at Ma'mo, Sweden, in July last, attracted world-wide interest amongst butter makers. The trials were conducted during the annual ceneral Swedish Agiicultural Kxhibition of Dairy Appliacces and Preparations, under the supervision of Dr. Nils Engstrotn, principal of the Swedish High Dairy School at Alnarp, near Malmo, and an exhaustive report theieon was issued by the Exhibition Committee. It is from that report that the translation given elsewhere is taken.

After a careful perusal of the report, we can come to no other conclusion than that the Radiator will not prove suitable for use in Australian factories, for the following reasons : —lts capacity is only ISOVaI. per hour. It takes .ii horsepower as against 1 horse-power required for separating and churning the cream obtained from a similar quantity of milk. For every kilo, of butter made the Radiator requires ]"2 kilo, moie milk thin by the present system. Every factory would require an iee-making machine, and every creamery would have to be rittod with complete ice-making and butter-making plants. On account of the intricate machinery double the number of hands now employed would be required for manufacturing a similar quantity of butter. In factories where from 3 OOOgal. to S.OOOgal. of milk are received daily a large number of Radiators would be requ.red, incicased steam power nettled, and a much greater number i.-f hands employed. The capacity of tlw Alpha R2 separator being -JOOgal. per hour, the system of cream separating and churning as carried out in Australia will, piovinu simpler and more economical, aU'o produce a much more marketable butter.

Regarding the commercial value of Radiator butter, wo h-ive had no piactical experience ; but if experiences reported fiom Denmark and bwoden may be taken as a guide, Radiator butter is not popular with British consumers, owing—first, to the high percentage of moistttre it contains ; second, to its poor keeping qualities when compated with butter male from ripened cream ; and third, to the lack of that peculiar aroma inseparable fioni butter made from ripened cream, the uifte for which is general amongst c nsuniers. Strong representations have from time to time been made to Mr Tavomer, Minister of Agriculture, in favour of the piuchasoofa Radiator by the Government of Vlctoiia, but Mr Taverner wi-ely declined to entertain the offrrs made. He, however, agn od to pay the actual working ex, enscs of a trial il the agents would lit up a Kadiator in any of our factories. Jt is reported that one of these machines is to be introduced to Australii ; but, in view of the result.-- of the thrte series of trials at Ml'lino, the Radiator is extremely unlikely to meet with any success in thcte colonics.