Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-04-24
INSTRUCTIONS TO BUTTER
MAKERS.

While they may not themselves be able
successfully to perform all the manipula-
tons of the dairy, experienced butter buyers
and dealers are perhaps better able than
dairy women themselves to point out the
understandable defects of the article they pro-
duce 1t is therefore important to know the
views of buyers, and we consequently take
pleasure in printing the private circular Of
one of the most extensive and experienced
handlers of butter in our state. And we
would particularly call the attention of our
copfrere of the Netc England Farmer to the
concluding italicised line of the article con-
tributed by that successful butter maker,
Gardner Fassett, Esq, of Euosburgh, we
believe,) which forms the substance Of Mr..
Hibbard's circular. On the question Of col
or in butter, in all its branches, it seems to
US that our friend Cheever, (of the Nel0
England Farmer, is about as far astray as
a dairyman can we'll get.
Perfect butter can be made from pure
that the butter which appears in the markets
of Franklin County is so varied in appear
ance and flavor. Neither has kind Provi-
dence withheld from us the early and latter
rain, but on the contrary, our pleasant hills
and valleys are verdant with the butter pro-
ducing grasses
Is il not therefore fair and reasonable 20
conclude that nearly, if not all the apparent
defects in butter result from Encouragement
on the part of dairymen? We as dairymen of
Franklin County have quite too long charged
the butter dealers with iavoritism, and buy
ing rs they could light upon chaps
In Boston and New York markets to-day,
where favor is not known in this matter, and
butter sells on ITS merits. the prices range
from cents to 50 cents per pound, and
somebody IN Franklin County makes these
different grades of butter Immediate rem
edy is what we all most earnestly desire.
My experience for seventeen years rs a
butter dairymsn, during which time have
made many experiments, and with care oh
served how our best dairymen manage, has
led me to adopt the following general rules
of practice, modified of course somewhat by
circumstances which | cannot control. q
regret that these statements must be so brief
as to leave out much important mnutie)
The COW should not he forced to eat anything
for food which is unwholsome, or he allowed
to drink impure water. Short pastures are
a common cause of poor butter, rs the COW
has to eat nOxious weeds aud sour grasses,
which at once affect the butter. In short, eve
rything unpleasant, unwhoesome or unkind
10 the COW lays the organs of secretion under
tribute ut once, to remove the difficulty, and
the milk producing secretions, being very
active in good cows, suffer largely
The health Of the cows should he perfect
Stables should be so constructed rs to he
warm light well ventilated, and above all
things dry and clean. The milk should he
perfectly cleaR, and at no time IN the year
should any other than good thick sheeting
cloth strainer or its equivalent he used. If
milk will not run through it, greater care
in milking Is necessary. Keep the milk rs
near the temperature of So +. while the
cream is rising, rs circumstances will per-
nit, using artificial means If necessary.
Keep every vessel used. from milk pail to
butter firkin, sCrupulOusly clean. Never have
on hand the fifth milking unskimmed, and
skim sooner If the temperature is too high.
As soon as the milk begins to be thick on the
bottom, except in extreme warm weather, II
should be skinned. In fact the cream
should he watched carefully, that 1t does
not remain too long on the milk. The air in
the milk room should be perfectly pure. 4
smoked ham or n very little smoke emitted
from defective stove pipe in the milk room,
will ruin the fine flavor. hopping the room
in II damp day will affect the flavor. Every
thing but pnre air and the NECESSARY utensils
should be kept out of the milk room. AVOID
circulation Of the air, rs it dries the cream
and produces white specks or curds in but.
ter, and these white specks will never make
good butter, even II they are ground up and
churned with the rest of the cream. And
that condition of things which produces
white specks affects all the cream uniaVOr;l-
bly,. Churn often, never keeping the cream
longer than three days unless at very low
temperature, never freeze the cream. unless
you must choose between freezing and rot
ting.
The poorest recommend dairyman car
give his butter is that the whole tub was
churned ut one churning, unless he has
large dairy. As soon rs the cream is put in
to the churn, reduce the temperature To $50
aud If churning is done rapidly, rs by horse
to 56e, and keep IL at this temperature til
the churning is done. Stop churning befor'
the butter is gathered into large Jumps. M,
experiments favor the use Of revolving
churns without floats. to avoid the whipping
process. Butter cannot be properly washed
or sailed in the churn. In washing, the wa
ter should be Of the same temperature "a thu
cream while churnng. Washing in too colo
or too warm water Injuries the gloss OF thu
butter materially, a nd also the grain. | pre-
fer hand working, but !f the brake must b.
used, Il should be so constructed that tn
lever cannot he pressed down close to tn
table, Ms the butter will not bear smashing
without becoming salvy. Butter will bet
good deal of nliring If kept at u tsmperA
hire of 50 or So. Three fourths of an ouno
OF good salt 10 a pound of butter is sbou
right The hrkins should be thoroughly sal
uratsd with pure brine. The top OF the but