The Portland daily press., 1879-05-30
Butter.
The Great Civilizer.
From an Essay by E. R. Billings.l

lfrom an Essay by +. r. Billings.
DR.. Wolcott, better known as Peter Pindar
gave utterance to recognized truth when he
declared that
''The turnpike road to peoples hearts find
Lies through their mouth else mistake mankind
An educated taste is careful outgrowth of
civilization, and the food we eat deter
mines our advancement in every department
of enterprise and thought. More particularly
is this true of the luxuries of life than the
necessaries, since the latter have nothing to
do with the dessert" but are confined to the
more ordinary food of the "board." The true
delights of the table are not found in savage or
semi-civilized lands, but where high degree
of social development characterizes the people.
Pliny ascribes the invention of butter to the
Germans, which is probably true, since the
north of Europe has long been celebrated for
its dairy products, and to-day the butter of
Denmark commands the highest price of any
in the English markets. To the average
American this important adjunct of the table
is the most important of all dairy products,
since, in its make and manipulation care and
cleanliness bear a most important part. At
home we naturally ask no qeestions for con-
science sake, but when at the restaurant or
table d hote we carefully scan the butter dish,
and the knife is gently drawn near the outer
edge until we discover the "proof of the pud-
ding" The true born southerner of the gulf
States, who imports his butter from the North
or West, may not be so careful, and he need
not be, since he consumes much less, but still
delights in spreading his hominy with the gol-
den morsel. To me, skilled in its make, it
seems almost intolerable to use even the small
est particle unless its genuineness or cleanli-
ness is assured. The good housewife can not
be caught by ''colors' while rank saline taste
can cover up no other defect.
Not many years had passed away after the
landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth before
the dairy interest began to be developed. The
importation of English cattle'' was regarded
munerative and successful, and hence supplies
from England were sought for at an early
period. Years had passed away before we be-
came an exporter of dairy products, but now
the "mother country consumes a large pro-
portion of our large surplus. The dairy inter-
est is one of the first to develop itself where
civilized man makes his home, provided always
that natural causes are favorable. England
has taken much pains in developing her great
colony known as Australia, and now, after
years of importing gold from thence, and ex-
porting convicts to hard labor there, Australia
returns the compliment by exporting butter
to crafty the palates of the Johnny Bulls. 1t is
also altogether probable that Algiers would
furnish France with asupply, were it not for
the TACT that the republic is an extensive ex-
porter OF both butter and cheese. There is not
nation on the face of the earth that is noted
for its dairy products that is not also famed for
a high degree of civilization. In Europe.
Norway, Sweden, Denmark, France and Hol-
land are great butter producing countries, while
Italy, Spain and Portugal consume and pro-
duce but little of this important article. In
the two latter countries the apothecary dis
penses it, while nearly all the people prefer the
product of the olive, for which it is substi-
tute A celebrated English judge, remarkable
for his intellect and vigorous potations, who is
with his brothers on the bench" until he had
imbibed two bottles of port, was once asked
what sort of wine was the best. His reply was,
"All wine is good, but some sort is better than
others" We are half inclined to say the same
OF our subject, for, In whatever form she pre-
sents herself to her votary, she always unfolds
Gf good) some charm or fascination, and
thought can wither her, nor custom stale her
infinite variety" Were we to look for variety
we could find it among this article of daily
food, and like the rainbow, its colors are many,
while the tastes thereof differs exceedingly
Rich golden is the natural as well as the sought
for color of butter, and hence where meal does
not abound, carrots often play very impor-
tant part. White butter is not wanted ex-
cept at underground restaurants where hotel
dinners are dispensed at a shilling plate. AS
for flavor, a good judge of wine should be
sought for in order to accurately note the yari-
GUS kinds denoted by the taste. Quite often
butter is like the product of Cape Cod that re-
quires much freshening, and even it frequently
lacks this quality so relished by the denizens
of the West Indies. In fact, we cannot prop
erly define true "gilt edge' butter. Its color
is most important while its favor is a most es-
sential quality. 1t must not be too salt or too
fresh, it must neither have too much butter
said OF the manipulation of it. The Danish
maid as she pats the golden humps, careful
ly notes its growing hardness, an essential
quality of well worked butter.
But let us turn to its use and its place on the
table. In America butter is found on the table
OF both the rich and poor. In nearly all dishes
it plays an important part, and the American
that could we'll do without it would become a
curiosity worthy the attention of the great
Snowman Thackeray loved tripe and onions,
while Quin delighted in roas duck and veni-
son, but what were these favored dishes with
out juicy bit OF butter to render them still
more palatable? The highest triumph of a
French cook cannot be possible unless the great
product of Normandy is used. The English
man may exult over his roast beef, the French
man become ecstatic while enjoying his mush-
room sauce, the Neapolitan exhilarant over the
lengthening lusciousneSs of his macaroni, but
the American would rather part with any 9TH
er dish than that which enters so largely into
the preparation of so many tried and valued
articles of food. We may safely affirm that no
other article used on the table so readily at
tracts the attention or calls forth our praise.
The gourmand requires it at the cafe, and the
sailor far out at longs for its presence at the
mess Like Oliver Twist, when stinted in our
supply we call for 'more," and if not good,
like Mr.. Toots, we say ''it is of no consequence,
AS relish it ekes out scanty meal, while its
absence denotes poverty and want. Its effects
in all departments of cookery are readily seen
and appreciated by all. On fowl and fish it be.
comes a necessity, while sauce and dressing re.
quire its use. Even the confectioner mixes il
with the product of the candy, while too often
its presence in some favorite beverage shows
how its use may be perverted and abused
Thus it will be seen that butter, both in it,
manufacture and use, is confined to the nations
that are far advanced in the civilized scale
Received from nation noted alike for its
prowess in war and high degree of literary
culture, will it not be well for us to determine
| how much they owe to this-the greatest civi
| lizer of all our artificial products?