New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-07-24
BUTTER CHEMICALLY CONSIDERED.
ny JAMES A. WHITNEY, PROFESSOR or AGRICULTURAL
CHEMISTRY OF lie AMERICAN INsTrrurE.

BY JAMES A. WHITNEY, PROFESSOR or AGRICULTURAL
CHEMISTRY or THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE,
Good butter Is one OF the products OF high ciyiliza
ton. Half civilized nations have used it only a
luxury and savage tribes cannot make IL al all IL
has become one Of the most important among agri-
cultural products. aud essential adjunct Of nu-
trtiOus food for all classes in enlightened countries
Like other articles thus in general use u Is subject
of interest in many ways from a scientific stand
poiut-for the manufacture Of butter IS directly de-
pendent not only upon chemical reactions bat upon
those physiological principles that control the health
Of the animals from whose socretons il is primarily
derived; In its connection with meehanics-ior the
separation OF che butter gobules from the surround
ing fluid is accomplished by mechanical means; and
than all theagriCulturst In it's com
merciai aspects for 10y tho profits OF its sale farms
are bonght and barns and dwellings built upon them.
The bearings Of chemical knowledge upon the pro-
cesses Of butter-making. Of mechanical appliances
upon its operations OF the customs and practices
of butter-makers and dealers with regard 10 the
value Of the article is the subject matter Of the
No dairyman need be told that the source Of all
good butter lies in good milk. and this carrics US
still further back To the heritage OF green pastures
and tho water of shaded streams. For the purposes
OF the dairy the COW may be considered simply as
machine for transmitting succulent forage mo milk.
IL is plain that the quantity and quality Of the milk
must be- IN proportion 10 tho quantity ana qualify OF
the materials IRON which nj derived. Hence, when
feed Is flush that cows may Ill themselves quickly
and have time 10 chew the cud thoroughly when
shade is abundant that they may ie at rest m the
heat of the day while the secrctions are going on;
when water Is plenty, that they may not become
feyered with thirst when salt ls gwen 90 due inter
walls that the soda OF the bones and the saline matter
OF the milk may be supplied, ana when they, are
taught 20 come of their own accord 20 the milking
place instead Of being stoned from back lot by boys
or chased by a cur the process OF transforming The
food into milk will go on with speed and regularity
dneaa AL of
respected lut neglect OF these aud similar essen
tals will make the dalrymans prohts small. ncani
pastures will cause shruuken udder-, wle continual
exposure 10 the hot sun. OF nsutcitney OF wafer or
nOnsupply of salt. or fright and eXcrilOn as from
being logged or dubbed VIII eacIl ana az ieH'. 20
fever and impaired condition OF the hellll 0 tho
animal, and react 40 once upon the quality oi the
milk The same results Occur from the browsing OF
tansy and other weeds winch, when pastures are
short are sometimes eaten by cows although az
other times they willnO touch them from the drink
ing of stagnaut water, which IN the Autumn has
been known 20 produce the still more serious EVIL al
abortion aud also from the nludlcous Use Of certain
kinds of food for instance, tlTIlS lhc BAD taste
OF these last, 10 is said. may be avoided By liberal
sailing, but II Is doubtful II II has ever been WhOuy
overcome by this means The better way is 10 cook
vegetables which, when fed raw communicate n
bad taste to the milk. During those months Wheh
the pastures or less scorched by the sun
and their grass loses It's succnent qualities, unless
other fields covered with thrifty clover have been
provided for grazing it is of course necessary 70 re-
sort TO feedng with green corn fodder am tue IKE
this from It's nature most closely resembling grass.
TOsts sweet roots like thI sugar beet or mallgel
wurtzel are the most available, always excepting
| that cheapest and best for Autumn feeding, the
pumpkin, which makes the milk rich and the butter
yellow, but the seeds of which should always be re-
| moved before feeding, their peculiar medicinal
effect IS not required by. healthy animals. These
truisms known 10 every farmer but too often disre-
garded in more than respect, indicate the hrst
| principles of successful butter making.
| Good milk Is the essential prerequisite OF good
butter and TO secure this the milk machine must be
kept III the best working order There Is scriptur-
| that treadeth out the'corn. parity of reasoning
will apply the doctrine TO the female of the
bovine race, and probably no one Is more amply re
warded for being mercful TO his beast than the
dalIyman whose pastures are tennnted by well-ied'
well-watered well-tended, and contented cows.
MILKING AND MILKING MACHINERY.
| The treatment Of milk for dairy purposes may be
very properly said To commence with lts extraction
| from the udder for this has direct bearing only
second to the causes previously specified both upon
COW be roughly handled she will withhold portion
of the WELD So too If in the milking operation the
last drops not fully withdrawn not only will tho
strippngs richest portion OF the milk be wasted
but the quantity left III the teats will DO liable TO
cOaPulate and lure the uadeT, aud, as is we'll under
| stood, shrink the product Of subsequent milk
Several milk machines have from time to time been
| Inyented but have proved Objectionable Tor one or
| fine other of the causes above indicated. One OF
these exhibited nj the Fair OF the American lnsti
tute two years ago was IN itS way CURIOUS ilustrh
tion of how not to do II. IL was composed of two
corrugated rollers geared together Like the rolls OF
wringinQ machne, but placed about quarter OF an
incl anaTt The cows teatS were To be placed be-
tween these rollers and fhe rotation Of the latter
was expected 10 compress tue teas, at intervals be-
tween their radiay projecting porIiOhs ana cNpel
fine milk The apparatus OF course never amounted
t,,t 80 Iii iItereHt al tle