The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-05-01

Milwaukee Sentinel
What is favor2 This has been asked thou
sands of times with regard to butter, but no one
has answered the question satisfactorily No
one has succeeded in Analysing or defining that
subtle element. Perhaps it has been partially
defined. Connoisseurs speak of the aroma and
nutty taste and the butter-market reports quote
''high-favored stock" But ask these connois
seurs, What is nutty taste or high havor!7 and
they can tell you nothing about it. promi
nent German chemist says pure butter has no
flavor; that flavor in butter is produced by the
fermentation of the acid fats of the milk. 1t
seems all animal fats contain acid which the
chemist can extract and name. Il is good
thing for the dairyman that even the chemist,
with his subtle science. can neither grasp, meas
ure nor ahalyze the delicate and undefnable at
tributes of butter II he could, his science
would soon enable him to simulate them. and
the oleomargarine and butterine makers would
wholly supply the place of the COW, and leave the
dairyman without vocation. There are points
about these essential qualities in good butter
that may be considered with profit by dairymen,
in view of the fact that as high as 81. % pound
is paid for butter that most gratfes the taste of
the fastidious epicure Rank vegetables eaten
by cows affect the milk and butter; for instance,
leeks, bitter weeds, cabbage and turnips. Butter
having flavor of any of these vegetables is dis
tasteful to nearly every one. We may set it
down as an indisputable fact that the food of
COW has positive influence on the flavor of her
butter and milk. We have learned this, that
fresh-sprTging tender June grass (blue grass
grown under the genial influences of warm sun
shine and fruitful showers will produce butter
with that gracious aroma which pleases the deli
cate and refined taste. We must remember that
it is very easy to destroy all the aroma by wrong
processes and faulty surroundings and invest
the butter with disagreeable odors.
In winter foods for cows. we have learned
there is a difference in their values for produc
ing delicate SAVIOR. Seasonably-eut hay, cured
mainly i'll heaps in preference to exposure by
spreading to the SUM- and without wetting by
the rain, will retain its pleasing aromas to be
utilized by the COW in producing milk. There
will be just as much difference in the quality of
the butter from cows fed on such hay and those
fed on slough hay as there is between the two
kinds of hay. If slough hay is worth So a ton
for feeding cows, fnely-cured meadow-hay is
worth $l0 a ton for producing fine butter.
Sweet cornmeal and bran are found to produce
the most relishable butter. Rye and barley will
contribute of their strong odoTs to butter. Car
rots fed to cows will produce butter of the finest
SAVIOR while that produced from mangels will
lack in flavor. No one will wonder at this If
they will cook both mangels and carrots and
test them by eating.
IT is question of great importance to the
dairyman who makes winter butter to decide
what foods to grow and how to secure them in
their most perfect states, so as to retain the
qualities so essential in the production of high
favored and consequently high priced butter
There are other equally important points in but
termaking such as the comfort, quietude and
health of the cow her supply of pure air and
water; the adiuncts and surroundings of the
barn and dairy; the various manipulations from
the milking of the COW to the marketing of the
butter-all of which are of sufficient importance
to warrant a separate consideration.