Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-03-03
Thoughts on Butter Making.

Thoughts on Butter Making.
When was requested to write paper
for this meeting, knowing my inexperi-
ence and inability, my first thought was,
| cannot, and said so; but after thinking
the matter over concluded to try, hoping
| might say some word or suggest some
train of thought to our superintendent of
agriculture or others present, that should
provoke 4 discussion of the subject that
shall amply pay my brother farmers for
the time shall occupy with my paper.
In looking for n subject to write upon
the thought suggested itself to me, Why
was | asked 10 write a paper? and | could
see no reason unless it might be because |
had got little out of the beaten track in
selecting Jersey COWS and endeavorng to
make first class butter.
In going TO these meetings and hearing
papers read, and reading the reports of
them in the papers, have noticed that n
good many OF them have seemed to be
mainly the experience of the individual
writing them.
| was brought up in the old way of
farming thirty or forty years ago, blowing,
sowing and harvesting, without much
thought as to details. and | have followed
my bringing up pretty well to the present
time, not daring to get much out of the
ruts. commenced farming with mixed
stoCk-Sheep, cattle and horses sheep be-
ing the principal stock for profit. Well, |
did us well, perhaps, rs the average, as
long as | was able to work, but when |
got SO | could not do much hard work, |
began 10 think more, and one OF my
thoughts was to keep an account of my
income.
On looking that over, some six OF seven
years ago, noticed that | had sold but
five hundred and fifty pounds of butter
were my COWS as good as others, and did
they pay for their keeping? The last ques-
ton might be very easily answered, with
butter ut ten to fifteen cents per pound, us
it was last summer, but it was thirty TO
forty cents then.
About this time | heard good deal
about the superiority of the Jerseys for
butter purposes, and through the influence
of one of my neighbors was induced to
go outside the beaten rut and buy Il couple
of Jersey COWS, and pay one hundred dol
lars each for them, and sell two OF mine.
Now | knew was going to be laughed at,
for it was said the Jerseys were Il puny
race and would have TO be kept in the
upper drawer; but made up my mind TO
give the experiment fair trial and keep
them the same as did my other COWS.
Now believe that this was the best
paying experiment ever tried, for it put
me 10 Thanking ard noting results, which
| think most farmers need to do more of
to make farming pay.
was surprised to find that my Jerseys
would eat straw and do as well ON it as
any of my other COWS, when dry. The
result was, that | made from the same
number of cows about nine hundred pounds
Of butter. This, Of course made my
pocket feel well, and stimulated my think
ing,
Now, US | never could see how one
could obtain something from nothing,
thought perhaps not only better COWS, but
better feed might pay, so | have been i'm
proving in stock and feed to the present
time, and am well satisfied with the result,
My COWS now average about three hun
dred pounds cach heiiers and all.
Sill again my thinking has led me to
try and make Il finer quality Of butter. In
dis experiment | find more to contend
with. think almost any one, with fair
care, can make good butter few months
in the year, but to make a nice article
every time. the year round, / find more
difficult.
Some have said cleanliness was the
whole secret of making fine butter. Now
my experience teaches me that many
other things are necessary, although that
is absolutely essential. think | may say
pure, sound milk is quite as much so.
Now what makes pure, sound milk?
There are some things here | have found
out, and II good many that have not. If
COW in good health has plenty of good,
sweet grass in June, she will give you
milk Of which you can, with good care,
make fine butter every time; because the
milk has the flavor and properties that are
required for fine butter; but let her eat
sour, lowand grass and drink stagnant
water, and the result will be poor milk !;
consequently, poor butter, in spite of you.
Many writers advocate raising large
quantities of roots TO feed to COWS in Win
ter, hut have not found out how to feed
them to my cows in great abundance, and
not detect something in the milk that in
lures the flavor of the butter.
There are so many different kinds of
grass and weeds in our winter feed for
cows that may change the flavor Of the
milk and butter that it requires constant
care and watchfulness to make fine butter
continually. In the winter a cow may he
little, what is called, gargety, or a little
feverish, aud not be noticed by the mixer,
and thus faint the butter or injure the fine
flavor.
When | think how many things are
necessary and how much care it requires
to make nice butter every time, it ceases
to be wonder that so small II portion Of
the butter sent to market is classed below
fine.
These are some of the things l have
found out by experience. Now we not
only want to know how to make good
butter, but how to avoid making poor
just how TO do this am unable to tell, fol
am Il pupil, not II teacher; and | Can
find no better way than to aCdtch and try
for have tried all the generalities that
have heard advocated by good dairymen
and writers, and still | find it easier to
make poor butter, sometimes, than good.
Now, gentlemen, if l have written Il
word OF suggested thought that shall ait
you to make this subject more interesting
to this meeting, l shall have attained my
bect.-Read al tie Barre Meeting, By j
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