The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-12-03
About Milking.

milking as follows:
1.-The best samples of butter have
ever seen were made in private diaries,
where only a few cows were kept.
These samples have not been the result
of accident. They have, in all cases.
come from skill and judgment IN adapt
ing means to ends. The food employed
has been grass and grain, or some of its
products. The cows have been well se-
lected for the richness of milk, and for
high flavor and color in its butter ele-
ments. The best butter never comes
from cows that secrete ow-havored
milk, stearine, instead of flavoring oils.
Where the best butter is made the cows
are all in good health and we'll supplied
with fresh water, as well as with good
food. No matter how good the normal
quality of milk, thirst and starvation
will spoil it for prime butter. 1t has
also been noted that the cows have been
gently treated. They are never hurried
to or from the yard by dogs. or dubbed,
or stoned, or harshly treated at milking
or any other time. They are provided
with shade and protected against the
annoyance of flies, and against the in
clemencies of weather of every kind; in
other words, there has been steady
care to secure for them comfort and
quiet. Then the milking has been reg
ular, and the spaces of time between
milkings equal; much depends on this.
Milking at four o'clock in the morning
and eight at night never makes the
finest butter or cheese. Sixteen hours,
or an approximation of it, are too
long time for the milk to remain in
the udder, for the good of the milk or
of the cows, especially when the flow il
large. By crowding and straining the
bag it becomes painful and feverish.
and the butter fats, as well as other ele-
ments OF milk, become altered in con-
sequence. There is nothing like a
sound and healthy udder. free from all
feverishness, congestion and swelling,
for secreting good milk. After milk
has been once secreted it continues to
suffer from change and absorption so
long as it remains in the bag. 1t would
be better to milk three times day than
to make long space between milkiugs.
1t is hardly necessary to say that
wherever the finest butter is made the
milking is done in the most cleanly
manner. 1t is so neatly done that
straining is of very little use; it might
even be dispensed with but for the oc-
casional dropping of stray hair. Who
ever places much dependence on the
strainer for securing clean milk will
never make gilt edged butter. Allow
ing dirt to get into the milk and then
dnnnndinnr n ofr inc %A o,,A
is a poor apology for cleanliness. More
or less OF the dirt, especially everything
of soluble nature, and some that is
not, is sure to find its way through the
meshes of the strainer with the crowd
ing current of milk. The practice of
using one cows milk to wash the filth
collected from another cows milk, as
is frequently done by continuing to
strain mess after mess through the same
strainer without cleaning, does not con-
tribute anything toward gilt-edged but
ter and is not allowed where the best
butter is made. Then the tin pals (for
l noticed wooden pals are not used
where | find the best butter) and all
the vessels used for handling or setting
milk, are kept scrupulously clean.
When used they are not left for the
milk, and particularly the milk sugar,
to dry and form a gummy coating to
serve as reservoir for infection, and
which ii is difficult to get off. They
are attended to promptly, rinsed in
cold water, washed in warm and scald-
ed in water actually boiling hot, and to
avoid contamination from a sour dish
cloth, are left to drain and dry without
wiping.'