This would permit the patrons of the factory to purchase a product which tasted the same as “creamery butter”, but would cost between 20-24 c. a pound‘ Whey butter was darker in colour than regular because it was taken from the run-off curds. To manufacture this butter workers used a special separator which removed the fat from the whey.
On March 6, 1920, the Directors met in the Company office and upon a motion moved by “D. Wallace MacKay and seconded by J. Herbert Simpson,. . . resolved to proceed with the installa- tion of a suitable plant (for) manufacturing butter from whey”.
The cost for this is recorded in the 1920 Ledger, as the following items were purchased from the The D.E. Laval Company, Ltd.
n.d. whey tank $225.00 Pump #1 $45.00 ($ 270.00) n.d. separator $825.00 (cheque $500.00 $ 825.00) Sept. 28 Cheque $ 683.55 June 11 By bill 35 3.01 July 8 $ 90.90 July 14 $ 6.12 ($ 100.03) July 26 By bill $ 7.87 ( $ 7.87) n.d. freight charges $19.35
Total charges $1,202.90
With three products being produced, the dairy at Stanley proved to be a very profitable busi- ness, However, as in all businesses, one must face the debit as well as the credit side.
By the early 1930’s the number of milk patrons was decreasing and changes had to be made. For some years the shareholders discussed the manufacturing of butter only, but, the results of the Annual Meetings ended in indecision. At the Annual Meeting, February 12, 1935, the Secretary has recorded that “some discussion took place regarding next year’s business but nothing definite was settled on, although the feeling of the meeting was for cheese”.
This was quickly settled at the next Director's meeting. The records show that “after some dis- cussion relative to changing over from cheese to butter, it was moved by John McLeod, second- ed by George McKay, that we make butter throughout the year’C
The number of patrons supplying milk in 1934 was 62. They had supplied 652,037 pounds, with an average price to farmers of 62.3 C. Per 100 pounds of milk. This decision must have been extremely disappointing to the farmers, as the selling price had dropped to 10.4 c. from a high of 23 c. In 1918. This clearly indicates that the cost of manufacturing would exceed the selling price of the finished product.
(B) STANLEY SEPARATING STATION
Prior to the opening of the Stanley Bridge Dairying Company, cream was saved at home and farmers made their own butter. This was generally in the early spring to late autumn because it was considered more profitable to let cows dry during the winter months rather than keep a herd producing all year around. Home made butter was stored in crocks and kept in a cool place for home use. A salt brine might also be used to keep butter from becoming rancid.
When farmers had an excess amount of butter, they pressed it in two pound blocks - although some was in bulk, — and sold to the local merchants, who retailed it to their customers. If the merchants bought more than could be sold locally, they would pack the butter in firkins - wooden tubs, which had to be lined with parchment paper before the butter was packed. These
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