Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1873-09-11
Agricultural.
White Specks in Butter.

The white specks in butter are called
fiecks. They appear In the cream and are
generally supposed TO be caused by too
much drying of the top of the cream from
being exposed TO currents of air. or from
standing so long that the surface of the
dried cream resists the action of the churn
dash so much that it only breaks the cream
into little pieces without churning them.
Those who thus account for them seek a
remedy by straining the cream through
fine cloth, thss breaking the lunches.
whence the fecks disappear 1t is barely
possible that this may sometimes be a
cause of the specks in question but that is
not always the cause j. evident from the
fact that it has often happened that some
pans of milk will have flecky cream, when
others standing right by the side of them
Will have none that the milk of some COWS
VIII have fiecks in the cream when Others
viii not, although standing in the same
room. and under exactly the same circum-
stances; and that in creameries where the
milk stands in pals Is inches deep. and
the surface is not exposed to any current.
and does not get dry at all, but is soft and
thin, the flecks sometimes appear in very
large proportion.
The milk in which flecks appear will
generally be found. in some respect,
faulty. They are apt to occur in tainted
milk or when the cows are pinched for
water in hot weather; when they are be-
ing dried of in the Fall and MIXED but
once day; when they are fed with any
Kind offood that makes them feyerish: and
| have known the milk % meat 10
be flecky, when it would not be at any
other time.
Flecks may be seen in the cream before
il is skinned or broken up. The surface
Will appear discolored in spots, the tlecks
being at first whittier than the rest but. il
LEFT standing too long, whey separates
from them, and they become centers Of
through the cream, and on the under As
well as upper side of it.
The inference from these facts is. that
the milk which produces hecky cream is
not exactly in normal condition The
white specks appear to be composed of
milk aud cream. curdled together, rather
than dried cream, and are probably formed
by changes in the milk occasioned by the
growth of organic germs scattered through
II. and are TO be avoided as vehicles of de-
structiye agencies. Observant dairymen
have noticed these specks forming in the
milk, first sinking to the bottom and then
rising up. like floating curd, with the
cream. They appear dark when below
the surface, probably because denser than
the rest of the milk; but they are white at
the surface and white in the churn. But
they do not always all get to the surface,
for part of them may sometimes be found
in the milk. Similar specks are occasion
ally in milk when il is first drawn. Flecks
inJure butter materially in appearance, fla
yor, and keeping.
Some dairymen consider cream containing
them unfit 10 use, and throw il away
Ihey regard it as pregnant with causes OF
decomposition, aud think that when used
It Injuries the butter from the sound cream
put in it, which | have no doubt is true.
But it need not be wasted.
The tendency TO fleck may be counter
acted, first, by keeping the milk so cool
That the germs, the growth of which occa-
sons the spscks, will not develope: the
second, by scalding the milk to kill them,
Heating TO liO has proved efectual. Pre-
vention. by attention TO the cows. making
the milk perfect, is better than cure.-rN.
I. Tribune.