The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1882-03-02
Making Butter.

Almost everything can be done ehher
well or indltferently, and we too often are
satisfied with Indifferent results. Butter
making, Ike everything else, has had
primitive stage in its history, when it was
accomplished and that was about all. In
this world of progress, however, there is
commendable ambition TO do everything
well and as near perfection as possible.
Therefore, in butter making, as in other
departments of industry, there has been
constant effort to improve. Primitive i'm
plements have given way to those of more
modern design and excellence, and the
principles of science have been applied to
the work until there may be very gen
eral uniformity in the dairy, if people will
only consent to believe that there is such
a thing as progress, and that it has been
made. There are people who affect not
to believe this in the matter of butter
making. They cling to old methods with
tenacity that is worthy a better cause,
and the result is that they are badly left
in the business, for old methods cannot
compete with the new. Yet thousands
have some excuse for neglecting to en-
ploy the best and most improved
methods. 1t cannot be expected that
every man and woman in this great
country of ours can become instantly
familiar with all the improvements that
are made in any direction. Very simple.
things are often very difficult for even
the wisest to understand. To those who
are familiar with a process or method,
the fact that others are not appears to be
evidence of unaccountable stupidity.
Such thoughts are natural, we suppose,
but they are not reasonable. 1t looks per-
fectly easy to hold plow or drive
team, but there are millions who can do
neither. 1t looks like the easiest of work
to those who understand it to make a
newspaper, but no one who does not un-
derstand it, can do it or see exactly how
il is done; and so it is with all kinds of
business.
The woman who has spent her whole
life in making butter as she was taught
by her mother, and is simply practicing
the methods of her grandmother and
great grandmother, cannot be expected
| to break away from these settled habits
in moment. They have become sec
| ond nature, and all Innovations, or many
of them, simply appear ridiculous. We
cannot hope to alter this. unless we alter
| human nature. Still, such habits are
| broken away from, else we should have
no progress whatever. iIow is it done?
| Why men and women compel them
selves to believe that the world has
reached perfection III nothing, and that
| consequently there must be room TOR
| improvement even i'll what we have
come to think is about perfect. The
next step is to experiment with what IS
claimed to be an improvement on the
old, apd if that results in giving salts
faction, we have taken a progressive
step. This is what we must do in the
dairy Old methods have been
superseded and new ones adopted
| by. the most progressive. There
is no doubt whatever that these new
methods are better than the old ones, and
we can convince ourselves of the fact, If
we will Just try them. 1t will pay us to
do so, and we should consult our own in
terests by throwing away the old fash
ioned primitive churn. and adopt better
one; adopt systematic method from the
milking to the packing, and no longer
make butter at random-Sometimes with
our milk and cream at one temperature
and sometimes at another-somehmes
using poor salt and sometimes using
good salt, sometimes with milk and
cream tainted with external flavel's and
SOmetl1neS not, sometimes Will on u ttin
and sometimes with new cream. We be-
lieve that the best butter ever made is
made in the dairy, and we believe, and
know, that we can all make the best, Ii
we will strive to do so. Some of the
new implements and methods have beer
long enough in use, to have proved theil
: utility To adopt them is no longer il
, the nature of experiment; we know wha
they will do before we touch them
Western Rural.