The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1818-05-26
ESSA No. 26.

General dphortsm respecting The management
Of milk IN the dairy,j for tie purpose Of obtain
ing tutter.
In the management Of dairy, the following
pecularities respecting milk ought to be partic-
ularly adverted to- some of them, no doubt are
known in part to attentive. dairy owners but
there is reason to believe that they have never
yet been considered by any one with so much at
tention as their importance deserves, and by ma
ny persons have perhaps never been thought Of
at all. The form of Aphorsms is adopted that
they may be the more readily adverted to and
the easier remembered.
First Aphorism-Ofthem milk that is drawn from
any cow at one time, that part which comes off
at the first is always thinner, and of much worse
quality for the purpose of making butter than
that which comes afterwards; and the richness
goes on continually. increasing to the very last
drop that can be drawn from the udder at that
time.
Few persons in the country are ign GRANT that
The milk which is taken from the COW last of all
at one milking is richer than the rest of the milk
| on which account the names of afferines has been
given 1t IN many parts Of the country, because
milking is done. 1t is known by other names IN
different partsiofthe country. This circumstance
sufficiently proves that the difference III its quail
ity has been adFerted to but few perhaps. are
tween the qualities of the first and last dra wn
milk from the same COW at one snilking. The
following facts respecting this particular were
| 2scertalned some time since and have been con
| tirmed by repeated subsequent experiments. and
observations Several large tea cups were taken
exactly of the same size and shape. one Of them
was filed at the beginning OF the milking of the
cow and the others at regular intervals till the
last which was filed with the dregs of the after
ings. counter weight being put in for each
cup, they were individually weighed So as to as
certain with precision that the same quantity Of
milk was contained in each cup From great
number of experiments frequently repeated with
many different cows, the result was in all cases
thus:
| The quantity of cream obtained from the first
drawn cup, was in every case much smaller than
from that which was last drawn and them be-
tween afforded less or more AS they were nearer
the beginning or the end. The Quantity of cream
obtained from the last drawn cup, from some
COWS exceeded that from the first in proportion Of
sixteen to one. In other cows, the disproportion
was not SO great but in no case was it found TO
fall short ofthe ratio Of eight to one Probably
upon an average of great many COWS, it might
be found to run al the ratio of ten or twelve to
one. But if the difference in the quantity Of
cream obtained at the beginning and at the end
of milking be great, the variation III the point Of
the quality of that is stil greater
In the first drawn cup, especially when the
difference in the quantity was very great, the
cream upon it was only thin tough i'll m, and
very white in the last drawn cup it was of a
thick butyraceous conscience, and of glowing
richness of color, that no other kind of cream is
ever found to possess. The difference in the
quality of the milk that remained after the cream
was separated, was likewise very great The
milk in the first drawn cup was of thin buesh
liquid, appearing, as if q very large proportion of
water had been blended with ordinary milk
that in the last drawn cup was OF a thick consist
snce, yellow color and rich taste, more resem-
bling cream than milk in ali respects only sweet
er to the taste, and less oily upon the palate
From this experiment it appears tina the per-
son, who by bad milking Of his cows. loses a lit
tie milk, loses more than is usually suspected
for if he leaves behind only half pint Of milk
that might have been obtained, he loses, in fact,
as much cream would have yielded by about
six or eight pints of milk at the beginning, and
loses besides, that portion Of the cream which a
lone can give richness and high favour to his
butter.
Second Aphorism--lf milk be put into a dish
and allowed to stand till it throws up cream, that
portion of cream that rises first to the surface is
richer in quality, and greater in quantity, than
what rises in second equal portion Of time: and
the cream that rises in the second terval Of
time is greater in quantity and richer in quality,
than what rises III third equal space of time
and that of the third than the fourth, and so on
the cream that rises decreases. in quantity and
declines in quality continually, as any rises to
the surface. 't