Weekly Republican, Volume 57, Number 47, Plymouth, Marshall County, 30 November 1911 — Page 2

THe Largest Creamery in Indiana; the Best in the United States,

and One of the Largest in the Nation

The production of five million pounds of butter each year makes SCHLOSSER BROTHERS, with headquarters in Plymouth, the largest manufacturers of butter in Indiana, and one of the largest creamery companies in the United States. The use of the latest methods in the business classes it also as the best creamery in the Nation. Organized as a co-partnership at Bremen, Ind., in 1884, by Henry, Philip and Jacob Schlosser, the business has grown, as a result of strenuous work, economy and study of methods, to its present magnificient proportions. At the beginning in Bremen, the annual output was only a few thousand pounds of butter. The keenest foresight at that time could hardly have had a glimpse of the present output of 5,000,000 pounds of butter in addition to a large amount of sweet cream sold and ice cream manufactured and marketed. The first extension of the business came with the pucrhase of creameries at Wanatah in 1890; Hanna, in 1892; and North Liberty, 1895; these plants being consolidated with the Plymouth plant later. Their South Chicago house was opened during the year 1893. The Plymouth factory began business in 1901, and has been in charge of Mr. Samuel Schlosser since its beginning. The Indianapolis business, in charge of Mr. Henry Schlosser, was started in 1909. Methods of Operation. Ncarly every creamery business is operated on one of the following four plans:---Whole milk creamery with skimming stations; direct shippers; cream receiving stations; or the gathered cream or route system. Schlosser Brothers business is operated on the gathered cream plan. The chief reason for this is that it is the most economical system for the producer, as each wagon makes a regular trip over a given route, gathering in one day the cream from twenty-five to fifty farmers. A little thought will make it evident to anyone that it is much cheaper for one wagon to collect the cream from a large number of customers than it is for each producer to take his milk or cream to the plant himself. If each farmer delivered his own cream he would lose on an average about two hours time at each delivery for a horse and man. Thirty farmers would thus lose sixty hours or more at each delivery, while the one man from the Schlosser Creamery, doing all the cream collecting, takes not more than ten hours for the work. By this system, also, the cream is delivered to the factory at regular intervals which insures its arriving in good condition. This is very desirable for both the creamery and the producer. Especially during hot weather it is desirable to have frequent deliveries of cream to the factory and this is the season when farmers have the least time to take their ream themselves. If they had to make their own deliveries they would frequently be compelled to neglect it, to their own loss and the disadvantage of the factory. The Schlosser System. Inasmuch as the system of cream collecting was developed by the Schlosser Creameries under many difficulties, it is appropriately called the Schlosser system. The management at the Plymouth plant was the first to work out the idea. After it had been successfully established, many other creameries of the country followed suit and adopted the same system for themselves. It was one of the most important changes in the creamery business of the United States, and the credit of it is due to Schlosser Brothers. It effectually displaced the old method of the farmer bringing his milk to town each day, hot weather

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or cold, rain or shine. It was such a big step in advance of the old plan that neither the farmer nor the public has realized the benefits of it. With the inaugeration of this new system it was possible to extend the business of the creamery enormously from what it had been. The cream routes were at once extended in all directions. Car loads of cream are shipped daily to Plymouth from the east, west, north and south. Over one hundred and fifty routes now furnish cream to the factory. The stations where these routes center are Hanna, Hamlet, Grovertown, Bourbon, Atwood, Etna Green, Warsaw, Pierceton, Larwill, Columbia City, Coesse, Mentone, Claypool, Akron, Culver, Camden, Sedalia, Flora, Burlington, Cutler, Stillwell, Walkerton, Tyner, Argos, Walnut, Tiosa, Rochester, Denver, Macy, Bunker Hill, Bennetts, Galveston, Walton, Sharpsville, Tipton, Elwood, Kempton, Hillisburg, Area dia, Cicero and Fishers. During the past season there were received at the three factories the cream or milk from 12,000 farmers. During June these factories made about 130.000 pounds of butter per week. The work on the routes is done in the following manner: The driver is supplied with cans, weighing pail, scales, sample box containing sample tubes, and a report blank on

which to report to the office the amount of cream received from each customer. Upon arriving at the farm the driver empties the vessels containing cream into his weighing pail and weighs it. He then enters the number of pounds received on his report blank to the credit of the customer from whom received. His next step is taking the sample to be tested for butterfat. To do this he first stirs the cream thoroughly in order to have the proportion of butterfat the same throughout the entire body, then pours a small quantity in one of the sample tubes. This sample is replaced in the sample rack opposite a number which corresponds with the number of the customer on the cream report blank. This operation is repeated at all the stops. The cream is then shipped to the factory in ten gallon cans together with the sample case containing the cream samples to be tested. Accuracy in Testing. After all this cream is received at the factory, a difficult problem is yet to be encountered in the proper testing of the product, so that the correct pay may be given to the farmers who sell the cream. Accuracy is the watchword of Schlosser Bros. in this department. Every possible precaution is used to guard against

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errors. A careful record is kept of each customer's tests, and every test made is compared with previous tests from the same customer. If there is an abnormal variation a duplicate test is always made to be sure no mistake was made on the first test. A picture of the testing room is given herewith in order to help give a clear idea of the work and the importance the factory management attaches to this part of the business. The Babcock Test. This part of the work is probably the least understood by the farmers and on this account there is a tendency for some to question the accuracy of the test. The Babcock Test, the method used by all creameries, will determine just as accurately the percentage of fat in a given sample of cream as any scales will indicate the weight of an article. However it has been the practice of some creameries to offer a high price per pound for butter fat and then, in order to even up, pay the farmer for a lower percentage of butterfat than the cream actually contained. When the drivers sample case is delivered to the test room the employee who received it sees first whether all samples have been placed in their .proper number as shown by the daily cream report which the

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Room, Schlosser Bras. Creamery, at Plymouth, Indi

driver sends in with the samples. The operator then takes the first sample and weighs out nine grams of the cream into a small long necked bottle. To do this weighing, twelve of these bottles are placed on a delicately constructed balance or scales, made expressly for this purpose and the scales is then balanced. The scale weight is then moved on the beam to correspond with nine grams and enough cream from the first sample is put in the bottle number one until the scales is again in balance. This operation is repeated until the twelve bottles are filled. They are now removed to a tray, the operator being always careful to see that the bottles are kept in the order in which they were filled. There is then added to each sample enough sulphuric acid to dissolve all the solids in the cream excepting the fat. They are next put in the testing machine and run for about five minutes. This machine is a rapidly revolving wheel around the outer edge of which are hung small buckets each holding one of the test bottles. The rapid revolving mo- . tion forces the heaviest liquids, to the bottom of the bottle and as the fat is the lightest part it is forced to the top. The machine is stopped and enough hot water added to nearly fill the neck of the bottle. The machine is run again a couple of minutes to force the fat to the top

of the water, when it will all be contained in the long neck. The sample is now ready to read. The necks of the bottles are graduated, each mark representing onehalf of one per cent. The percentage of fat is determined by the length of the column of fat, or in other words by the number of marks it covers. As mentioned before, the first consideration in doing the work, in the test room is accuracy. All employees having anything to do with the test have particular instructions along this line. Factory Methods. Most people are familiar with the process of making butter on the farm. The method at the Schlosser Creamery does not differ materially from this, except, of course, it is done on an immensely larger scale. When the cream arrives at the factory it is emptied into a receiving vat which sets on a scales. The cream from each route is weighed separately and is also tested for the percentage of butter fat. Weight and test is compared with the total of the weights reported by the driver so as to guard against mistakes and, also, to see that the drvcr is doing his work properly . From the weighing vat the cream is run through a pasteurizer. This is a machine constructed so

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as to heat the cream to a temperature of 160 to 165 degees Fahrenheit by the use of live steam, and then to again cool it. The object of heating the cream is to destroy all undersirable germs, or bacteria, and thus insure a better keeping quality. From the pasteurizer the cream is run into large vats holding 800 gallons each where it is held until the next morning, or until it is ready to churn. These vats have a coil of pipe running through them which can be revolved by means of a pulley connected to them on the outside of the vat. These pipes are also connected so that hot or cold water may be circulated through them as desired. In this manner the cream is constantly stirred and either heated or cooled to the proper temperature. Big Churnings. The churning is done in large churns holding enough cream to make from 800 to 1200 pounds of butter, depending on the richness of the cream. The operation is practically the same as in the small churns. When the churning is completed the buttermilk is drawn off and a quantity of water put in the churn. The churn is then run a few minutes to wash all the milk out of the butter and the wash water then drawn off. The butter is now ready for working, or mixing. The churns are constructed with a set of rollers

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on the inside which makes it possible to work the butter without removing from the churn. The proper quantity of salt is added to the butter and the churn is run on a slow gear. The rollers in the churn revolve and the butter is forced between them. In this manner the large mass of bütter is worked in a few minutes. Packing the Butter. It is' then taken out of the churn and packed in various sizes and kinds of package. Part of it is put up in one pound prints. When this is done the butter is first packed in a large box-shaped tray which holds 900 pounds. This tray is run into a refrigerator to set six to ten hours until the butter is hard. The sides and ends of the tray are then removed and the block of butter is forced against a set of fine wires arranged so they will cut the butter in to small blocks weighing exactly one pound each. These prints are wrapped in parchment paper and packed in boxes containing thirty and fifty pounds each. The consumer receives from these boxes the rich. tempting and delicious "Oak Grove" Butter. Cleanliness Everywhere. One of the first and strongest impressions on the visitor to the Schlosser Creamery plant is that of cleanliness everywhere. You are compelled to think "clean, clean, clean---wash, wash, and scour everywhere.'' Pure water pumped from the deep factory wells. is used in abundance. A sixty horse power boiler, driving a forty horse power engine gives power for the machinery of the plant, as well as steam and hot water for washing the cans and other utensils in the most thorough manner possible. One of the most important things to remember is that in order to make the best quality of butter it is necessary to have all machinery, tinware, and everything with which the cream or butter comes in contact, scrupulously clean. Milk, cream and butter are articles that take on surrounding bad odors and flavors very readily. All that can possibly be done in this factory to keep these bad flavors out of the product is done. The factory is equipped with its own ice-making plant and cold storage wareroom. The business ability which has characterized the management of the Schlosser Creamery is clearly shown by the success of the business. By its very nature the conduct of a creamery is a most difficult task and the business characterized by keen competition and small profits. To succeed, it is absolutely necessary to know the business thoroughly, to economize rigidly, and to take advantage in the factory equipment of the very latest labor saving appliances. The closest application of all these, together with an experience of all the years of their business lives have given the Schlosser Brothers success where failure would have overtaken the ordinary firm or individual. But not only have Schlosser Brothers succeeded because of these things, so absolutely necessary to success, but they have thought out and applied new methods, which have been adopted by the creamery world because of their scientific correctness and value. They have been pioneers and leaders in the business, and are so recognized by the creameries of Indiana. In the office their system is of the best and the utmost exactness of business precision, carefulness and competency is found. Plymouth and the whole of Marshall county should realize fully the importance of this magnificient institution in our midst, both because of its size and distinction among creameries of the country, and because of the large amount of money it brings into the county.

INDIANA