Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-02-04
A California Dairy Farm.

There is an article in the San Fran
cisco market called the 'Point Reyes
outter." 1t is of peculiar excellence
and sells for its own price. During
the last summer it has reached seven.
ty-hvc cents pound, and it can be
contracted the season through for
forty cents pound.
Point Reyes is little peninsula
extending from the coast of CaIifor-
MIA into the Pacific Ocean Just north
of the Golden Gate. 1t is an oblong
piece of country joined to the main
land by a neck attached in its center.
1t clings to California something as a
potato clings to q fork. On its west
ern shore it is beaten by the sound
ing surf of the Pacific; while on the
side toward the main land it encloses
two bays whose waters sound a re-
frain to the ocean surf beyond. The
peninsula varies in width form one
half mile to three miles, and is per-
haps fifteen miles long. Its surface
is gently rolling, except at a few
points where it presents bold face
to the oceans caressing. AS the
land lies thus open to the influence of
the surrounding waters, it has cold,
moist atmosphere which is most ia
vorable to the growth of vegetation
upon its gentle slopes. 1t is a natu-
raj pasture land. Since its earliest
history it has been covered with Il
rich carpet of forage plants, and be-
cause Of the copious mists from the
ocean it holds its vcndurc and rich
ness of pasturage even when the
mainland of the State is parched by
the dry season. This splendid dairy
and grazing was not considered of
very great value twenty-five or thirty
years ago when mineral wealth was
the standard by which all surface was
measured. 1t was all comprised in
one grant Of land, and was transfer
red at low value. Now there is no
handsomer property in the State for
the purposes and practices which
have given its name a fame. 1t is
par excellence the dairyman's count
ry.
The ownership of the Point Reyes
district is chiefly vested in Charles
Webb Howard, Esq, of San Francis
co. In his hands are 1913 acres of
this splendid country, and to him be-
long the 5000 dairy cows which are
maintained upon it for butter making.
He has the land divided into seven
teen ranches each leased to respon-
siblc tenant, who manages 4 dairy
herd, hires the necessary help, and
managing his own business, paying
to Mr.. Howard a stated rent for use
of cows and lands. The tenants are
permitted to sell nothing but the
legitimate products of the dairy, and
are allowed to cultivate the land only
with view to its improvement as a
region for pasturage. Thus the dairy
character of the country is carefully
maintained. The growth upon the
land IS chiefly the native plants; one
of the most important being the alfi-
llreo, cattle food of peculiar rich
ness.
The buttcr-making as practiced up
on the ranches is the point upon
which most novelty and interest to
eastern readers center. Each tenant
has dairy herd ranging from one
hundred to two hundred and fifty
COWS, he hires men to do his milking,
counting one man to each twenty
COWS. The buttcr-makers are chiefly
Cinnamon, who have been taught
the art upon the premises. Each
ranch has its own butter factory, con-
sisting of five rooms-the milk room
the churn room, the work and pack
ing room, and the wash room.
The milk room is large, airy
apartment, furnished with vcntilators
above and below, and with outside
blinds over the windows. 1t is care
fully painted: floor and caslngs. The
walls are smoothly plastered. AS
one enters the darkcned room the air
is cool and sweet, as one of Prof
Arnolds theories. At one side of
the room a shining brass faucet en-
ters from without, and from this the
milk is drawn into the six quart
pans for setting. Around the sides
of the rooms the pans are placed on
shelves like the hats on the shelves 70
the hat store. There are a dozen rows
of pans extending quite around the
room. The number can be judged
when it is remembered that there is
enough to hold the milk of two hun
dred and fifty COWS in some Of the
factories. The milk is allowed to
stand until it is just soured. The
skimming is done by means of
skimming table on castors, which is
pushed around the room close to the
shelves. 1t is made with four legs,
like table. On each end there is
a rest, on which rides cream can
holding half barrel In the center
there is shallow sink Of zinc, from
which runs flexible hose lead
ing to the duct, by which the sour
milk is carried to hog troughs in the
yard outside. The buttermaker
skins pan in less time than it takes
to write about it. He has in his
right hand a little thin bone knife,
two inches long Drawing a pan
down quickly from the shelf, he
places it with one side resting on the
edge of the cream can. Then he
runs his knife blade around the edge
of the pan, with one stroke separat-
ing the cream from the pan, and then
as the fiat coating of cream is float
ing free in the milk, he catches it in
the center with the point of his knife
and, tipping the pan a little, flaps the
cream off into the cream can, as
hungry man SHES pancake into his
plate. Then he dashes the sour
milk into the sink, and the pan is
skinned, by a single twist of the
wrist, as it were. 1t is done before
you can watch it, almost, for an ex-
pert skinner will skim and empty
three or four pans in minute,
The milk comes into the milk room
through the brass faucet to which l
alluded. There is a pipe running
backward from this faucet through
the side IF tho hujldinU and LEADING