Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1859-06-18

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low that price.
Lack of drainage, which renders the con-
struction of good cellars difficult, if not mpos-
siblc and lack of spring WATER are serious OBJ
structions to butter-making in the West.
The more northern and billy States of Mich
igan, Wisconsin and Minnesota may be expect
ed ultimately to attain success in this important
branch of husbandry.
NEW ENGLAND BUTTER.
New England butter, or at least that portion
of it which reaches this market, particularly
from Vermont, is noted for its sickness. 1t
commonly packed in Welsh tubs, made of fir
wood, and ranks much below the finest grades
BUTTER MAKING.
| While local characteristics are thus promi-
nently marked, the difference in quality result
ing from different degrees of skill and care in
the makers of the same section is no less strik
ing, some dairies bringing, in the same state of
the market, to s cents per pound more than
others from the same neighborhood.
Much has been said and written on the art
of butter-making. We trust some good has
resulted from these efforts, but still very large
| proportion of the butter sent to market is of
| inferior quality, aud sells at low prices, though
more labor may have been bestowed upon it
| than upon the very best
Nothing plenscs commission merchants more
than to receive n strictly fine dairy of butter
sweet, yellow, rosy to the smell, and delicious
to the taste. 1t sells readily at a satisfactory
price, and everybody is pleased, from producer
to consumer. Common and inferior butter
sticks, notwithstanding its greasineSs, at every
stage, causing dissatisfaction from beginning to
end. 1t is either colorless, milky, sticky, over
saltcd, under salted strong, rank, or rancid, or
all these combined-at any rate, it is not what
| it should be.
Without pretending to a practical knowledge
of butter-making, we herewith condensc such
of the principal conditions and requisites for
tirst-rate butter as we have been able to gather
from various sources.
We will thank any first-rate butter r-maker for
additional hints, or criticisms of what we have
herein stated.
CONDITIONS REQUISITE.
First: Cows Of good milking quality; some
| good butter makers think selected natives the
best.
Second: Food-Onc of the most experienced
and best buttermakers in the State, recon-
mends mixture of grasses, such as red and
white clover, timothy and blue grass. Keep
the pastures from rank and strongly favored
weeds. Pungent roots and vegetables such as
turnips and cabbages, will iniurously flavor the
butter, and injurc its keeping qualities. Pump
kns and carrots are the best vegetable food
when the season of grass is over, and give a
fine color to the hutter but ground feed, such
as the bran of wheat, rye, and corn, or ground
oats, is believed to be the best in winter, as it
keeps the cows in thriving condition, without
too much increasing their fat, and makes the
best keeping and best favored butter.
Thud: Keep the cows quiet, particularly
during the warm weather. The milk from cows
when in the periodical fever, or when heated
from any cause, will not make the best favored
or the best keeping butter, and should be re-
jcctcd from such use.
Fowth: Keep the atmosphere Of the milk
room perfectly fresh and pure and at rs even
temperature as possible--it should not be warm
cr than G5 deg. Fab. As soon as the milk CO.
agula,es, or just before this change occurs it is
ready to be churned or skinned. Some of the
best buttcr-makers churn the milk with the
cream; others skim and churn only the cream.
When skinned, the cream may be kept in the
cream-jar six to twelve hours, occasionally strr-
ed, but never covered. Tin pans are common
ly used for setting milk, but tin pals, holding
twelve quarts, are preferred by some Of the
most skilful.
Fifi: The contents of the churn should be
at the temperature of 65 deg, and the dash
should be moved at the rate of about fifty
strokes per minute neither hot nor cold water
should be turned into the churn to regulate the
temperature. Setting the churn in hot or cold
water is better way; hot water turned into
the churn Injuries the color and grain of the
butter. Soft water is indispensable for wash
ing butter to the best advantage. If you can
not get soft water otherwise, save rain water
and cool it with ice. The water from ice is al
ways soft. When thus washed it is ready for
sailing. When the conditions are right the
butter will "come," in 20 or 80 minutes. When
done the butter should be taken from the churn
and thrown into a smaller vessel, partly filled
with water, at ~ to "A deg. Fab. and the but
termilk forced out with small dash or ladle
then put in trays and wash until the water used
ceases to be the least dscolored with butter
milk. The great point to be attained in wash
ing and working butter is to expel all the but
termiik without overworking the butter, which
spoils the grain, and renders it sticky or greasy,
After the butter has stood in the trays about
twenty-tour hours, and been worked lightly
three or four times, it is ready for packing
Some good butter-makers do not work so many
times. 1t should never be worked in dry state
or without water, as that would injure the grain
and damage the favor at once After the fir
kin or tub is filled, the butter should be cover
ed with thin piece Of muslin, and the whole
covered with strong pure brine, which must no,
be allowed to evaporate and leak out.
O'ti-SbitliiS 10 ullt Vi tllt llOSl
faults of buttcr-making. Not uncommonl,
coarse salt is used in such quantities, and witt
such treatment, that it remains undissolvcd
and will CRATE in the teeth. Such butter must
be sold from three to six cents per pound lowel
on that account.
BUrTER PACKAGES.
White Oak frkins, with smooth, round hick
J ory hoops, holding about 100 pounds, are mos
largely used, and decidedly the best when tn,
f article is to be kept long time-no other cal
be used for shipping. Half-frkin tubs, or thu
regular frkin sawed in two, with flat cove
nailed upon the top, with cover or lid shutting
over and strapped down with pieces of leathe
/ or tin, are much used in some sections. The,
are very convenient for the domestic trade
They are commonly made of ash, which is mex
3 to white oak for this purpose. Maple, white
e wood, and other soft woods, are unfit, as the
t soak largely, and impart Injurious iavors to tn
, butter. Butter may be advantageously keep
t under brine while at the dairy, but when final
t closed up for market the pickle should be care
fully turned off, and cloth, wet in strong brine
= spread over the top. The top head of the fir
kim or the lid of the tub, should never touc
. tba I,,tt, G.,