The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-04-04
;Mmte 1at1tt.
HOW TO MAKE GOOD BUTTER.
From the Maryland Farmer.

uC kloth vi NIiSuEo
publishes an excellent essay by Hon.
Charles W. Murtfeldt, Secretary of the
Missouri Board of Agriculture on the
management of the Dairy and the
Stock.
The first point in making good butter
is good food, and in sufficient variety |
to stimulate and keep up the appetite
of the mich cows. All the grasses
timothy, orchard grass, blue grass and
clover-are suitable to this purpose ;
and to them may be added broadcast |
eorn-the latter being an important
addition as a means of carrying the
stock through that portion of the Sum-
mer when the hot suns have deprived
the grasses of their succulence. When
Winter comes on, Mr.. Murdfeldt sug-
gests that the cows should be fed freely
on roots and meal, alternating the lat
ter with dry but nutritious provender,
and changing the nature of the fodder
frequently The kind of cows to be
selected for dairy he leaves to the
Judgment of the dairyman and to the
requirements of the locality-some
cows doing better in some places than
others. But he lays down, as an
axiom, that good dairy farming can
only be carried on with cows of good
breed His directions on the proper
method of milking are so excellent and
so much to the point that we give them
entire. He says:
We will suppose the time of the
year to be the month of June and the
time of day to be six O'Clock P. NJ. We
have dairy, say of twelve cows, and
there are two or three mixers. The
pals, bright tin or well-scoured patent
, buckets, having been well scalded and
thoroughly sweet, are taken in hand,
and we go out to the yard or barn, if
the COWS are used to being put in the
stanchions Every mixer milks the
same cows, always, if at all practical
Gle; his or her hands should be clean,
and, if possible, not hard; if field
hand must necessarily do some of the
milking, good washing of hands in
warm water, not so much for the i'm
mediate cleansing, although that is in
dispensable, as for the softening of
hands, will be found great help. AS
we sit down with our pals by our side,
we see that the cows bag and teats are
clean also, because it takes but little
manure to contaminate whole pailful
of milk. Always treat your COWS gen.
tly; lose not your temper under any
provocation. Remember, you are deal
ing with dumb brute, which you can
by patience and kindness educate to be
gentle and tractable; or, by opposite
treatment, to be contrary, ill-natured,
and, as far as profit goes, of no ac-
count" Let the milking be done easily
as TO motion, but as rapid as possible
after the milk flows freely, taking one
back and one front teat crossway, be-
cause it is easiest for the hands, and be
sure to milk perfectly clean In Switz-
erland good hand is to milk COW in
six minutes, or ten in an hour, inclu-
sive of time to carry in the milk. 1t
can be done in this time, even if each
COW gives from ten to twelve quarts at
a milking. When large dairy is kept
good mixers should not be required to
carry in the milk Conversation in the
milk-yard is to be avoided 1t is also
recommended to milk your cows in the
same order, though it is not essential
unless you have a cow that will not
wait | have known such, and they
are to be found in every dairy, and
generally give the most milk. When
the pals are full, they are carried i'm
mediately to the milk room or cellar,
where the milk is strained into bright
tin pans, each holding from six to ten
quarts, but which ought never to be
more than three-fourths filled | recon-
mend the use of strainer-palas being
very convenient; but, besides this, an
Independent ST. q ner, to ensure thorough
work. These utensils must, Of course,
be well cleaned and scalded each time
they are used In the first washing
the use of soap is recommended-fatt
substances cannot well be removed
Without-next use pure water, and
scald well after that The common
practice of setting pans and pals out
into the sunshine is a good one
Let it be understood that absolute
cleanliness in every stage Of the pro-
ceedlngs is necessary to success"
The milk room should be cool, airy,
and well ventilated, but protected from
high winds. Both the butter and milk
room should have a northern or north
eastern exposure, if these can be obtain
ed, without sacrificing other conven-
iences-they should be kept perfectly
clean and sweet, free from all odors
arising from fresh meats, vegetables O.,
the kitchen. The frequent use of lime
or whitewash is strongly recommended
as the best means of publication
Milk and cream are very easily affected
by even slight neglect in this particular,
therefore, whether room or cellar, it
should be only used for the legitimate
purposes Of tho dairy.
The temperature of the rooms-and
this is an Important matter-should be
kept at about sixty degrees, and to
ascertain this Thermometer should in
varlably be consulted, as there ought
10 be no guess work-at this tempera-
ture all TIE cream rises before the sour
!hG ii the milk prevents it, and before
It's quality is affected injuriously. The
milk should be skinned every thirty
or tbirty-six hours, taking care that
only small portion of the milk is
taken off with the cream. Mr.. Murt-
teldt makes distinction between the
best butter and the most butter which
is well worth noting He says: 81
hesitate not to say that the best butter
is made when cream with about a
fourth of the milk is churned. The
most butter is made where all the milk
is allowed to sour and is churned with
the cream. A cream.pan holding about
twenty-four quarts is to be preferred to
jar 1t allows more air. Every
time new additions are made to the
cream all the contents are gently stir
red, so that all ripen together. No
cream should be added if churning is
IN hn dana within four hOnrc beraIIse II