The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1879-10-08
farm aud Garden.
Rules for Making ailt-Edge Butter.

E. D. Mason, president of the Yer
mont Dairymen's Association, has fur
nished the leading agricultural pubhca-
tons of the country with printed slips
of the following article, originally pub
Ished in the Rltral Neao Yorker.
FEEDING.
Select your COWS with reference to the
Quantity and richness of milk produced.
The best COWS are the cheapest for but
ter, so get the best you can Of whatever
breed YOU select. Give them good pas
turage in the summer, and plenty OF pure
water, with frequent access to salt. In
winter, feed sweet, early-cut hay, we'll
cured corn fodder, roots, cabbage, etc,
and ration of brand, corn-meal, ground
oats, or middlings.
IMPLEMENTS.
Have the best implements, and keep
them scrupulously clean, well-scalded,
and often exposed to the sweetening in
fuence of the sun. The milk pail and
pans should be of the best quality tin. A
reliable thermometer is a necessity to
every good dairyman.
MILKING.
The milking should be done quietly
and at regular times, and the utmost
cleanliness observed. Nothing Is tainted
quicker than milk by foul odors, and
surely at times with all COWS there is
enough animal odor to it without add
ing any more.
SETTING.
Strain the milk slowly into the pans,
four to six inches deep. 1t is an excel
lent plan to strain the milk into large
can set in cold water, and cool down to
go degrees before putting into the small
pans. The milk must be set in pure
atmosphere, at such temperature as will
permit the cream to rise in from thirty
to thirty-six hours after sitting. In order
to do that, the room should be kept at
about 90 to IS degrees, and not allowed
to vary much either above or below.
In hot weather keep large piece of
ice in tub in the room. Cover it over
with a thick blanket, and, if arranged so
that the water will run off, it will keep a
long time, and keep the room very uni
form
In cold weather some arrangement for
warming the milk room should be adopted.
SPINNING.
Skim as soon as your milk begins to
turn sour Do not neglect this rule, as
it is impossible to make good butter from
cream that has become old and sour.
When you pour your cream into the
cream Jar, splash as little as possible.
Stir the cream every time you add more
to It, and wipe the sides of the pot.
Keep the temperature at about go de-
grees, and the cream pot in the coolest
part of the house, covered with a fine
gauze netting strained on hoop, not
with tight cover. If covered too tight,
fermentation is often too rapid.
CHURNING.
Churn often, as there is nothing gained
by long keeping. Bring the temperature
of the cream in the churn to Sc degrees,
and do not allowit to rise aboye64 degrees,
Churn early in the morning while it is
cool. First scald the churn, turn the
paddles a few times then pour off, and
pour in cold water, add turn the pad
dies pour off and pour in your cream.
In churning revolve the paddles with an
easy regular motion, not too fast no too
slow.
The butter should come in about forty
minutes, a little more or little less if
the temperature of the cream when put
in was about So degrees, ascertained by
thermometer.
COLORING.
When likely to be deficient in color,
add sufficient quantity of "The Per-
fected Butter Color" (made by Wells,
Richardson & Co., Burlington, VT to
keep it up to the June standard.
WORKING AND Sailing.
When it has "broken" and there is a
difficulty to make the butter gather,
throw in some cold water and give few
more turns. Some, l think a majority,
of the best butter-makers of to-day wash
their butter with cold water before re-
moving from the churn. Gather your
butter with the paddles and lift it out
into the tray, press it gently and incline
it, and let the butter-milk run off. Work
it gently with the paddle, with cut
ting, gentle pressure, but not to mash it !;
or, better put into the butter-worker.
Salt it about an ounce to the pound, or
to the taste Of good customers only with
the best salt, and free from Jumps or
courseness. Work the butter only so
much as to expel the butter-milk, but
not to work it too dry. This can be done
by the use of a weak brine prepared for
the purpose. Put the bowl away in a
cool place. After standing twelve or
twenty-four hours, gently press out with