The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1884-02-01
the bewildered granger with list of

of milk, and the granger says, Yes?
Then follows another calculation that
would cover about two boards on the
stable door, and he elucidates in about
this wise: That if you set can about
twenty-five inches deep and eight and
one half inches across with certain
number of pounds of milk from two
by six grade Jersey, Tor he would vary
the calculation according TO the breed)
that you would get SO many cubic inches
of cream, that if churned at sixty-two
degrees by the thermometer, at from
forty to sixty revolutions of the churn
a minute, for one hour and half by the
clock, would produce just so many
ounces of butter to hair. And the
poor granger jams his hands farther in
to his pockets with an air dissatisfaction
that be could at least understand the
last word flor who has never seen q
hair i'm buttcr). Then also the east
crn markets had been convinced Of
their mistake in advocating sweet
cream butter and We're issuing their
quotation cards with sour cream butter
at the head of the list.
do not wish to be understood by the
above that | ignore investigation and
progress, but that there is a line of de-
narration in all extremes which If
practically drawn will be the safest asad
surest one to follow. The farmer has
so many cares to demand his time and
attention, that he cannot afford to try
every new experiment that may be Of
fcred. 1t is well to keep posted bat he
is not to be dubbed an ignoramus or .
ioggy if he adopts a practical course
baet snlted TO his surroundings. The
farmer above all others must make I'D
his mind To take what he can get. He
can't get any more milk than the cow
VIII give, nor any more cream than the
milk contains. 1t won't do any good to
fret if your neighbOr has COW that is
said to produce eighteen or twenty
pounds of butter week or if the whole
bovine race should give cream only
for the especial benefit of the Baker
family"
But to proceed with my own expert
ence. Two years ago We fitted up q
creamery. 1t is plain wooden build
ing, twelve by sixteen, sealed on the
inside with matched lumber and filled
in between the studding with sawdust.
The main floor is sunk foot and half
below the surface of the ground and
cemented. There is sink or trench
Aoi "dttI anu IOOIll Bll6
and end. The sink is two feet deep
and wide enough for two rows of cans.
1t is laid up with brick and cement and
has waste pipe at one end ofthe tank.
1t will hold from eighteen to twenty
barrels Of water. The storage room is
the same depth and width of the sink,
is cemented, has tight fitting cover
and makes cool dry place to keep the
butter. Just outside the building is q
well, with plenty Of water, that stands
ut fifty-One degrees, and the pump is
run by an attachment to the windmill.
| use the deep settlers and find the best
skinner is small tin ladle such as is
used for soup. use a box churn and
Higgins salt. prefer this salt to the
Ashton for the reason that it
dissOlves quicker and more thH-
Oughly, and is less liable to
form in dry scales on the butter in
standing. | churn in cold weather at
siyty-twO degrees and in warm weather
at from fifty-eight to sixty owing to the
| Use butter color when
necessary. | bring my cream to the
desired temperature before beginning
to churn, and always make it point to
have one person do all the churning if
possible. They soon become accustOm-
ed to the sound so that they can tell
about the condition of things without
looking inside. When it begins to have
u hollow, rattling sound it is time to stop
and draw off the buttermilk.
Then put on plenty of water fresh from
the well. | gather my butter in the
water and take it up just as dry as pos
sible, then put il ON the worker and
add one ounce and Il quarter 10 the
pound of Higgins salt. One ounce Of
Ashton salt will be sufficient. l work
his in carefully and set away to be
worked over the next day, when
pack in jars or tubs, and consider jars
much the best for keeping butter. l
ship every week in summer or every
pack your butter in rstmhs packages se;i ana
shin while u &c FISH and sweet, you
will get the best prices. If farmers
would have demand for their butter
hey must work for reputation. l
want reputation that will not need to
De tested with an iron rod. Ihave seen
people bring butter to the store and the
merchant would jam that hollow rod
Town to the bottom of tub and bring
t out filled with sample of the con-
entS, pass il along under his nose and
~ the time the end of the rod had
cached the end of his nose, he would
TO his patron that the butter
vas streaked ard smelt like it was
worth about six cents per pound.
There is nothing to be gained by put
ing an inferior article OF butter, suet,
prick bats or cord wood in the bottom
If tub or center of a roll. / want
reputation for honor as well as for but
er. When l have butter that Is not
quite up to the standard, tell the pur-
'haser, and if be is an honorable man
le will feel in duty bound to treat me
IN the same basis.
Another point in establishing repu-
alton is to live up to your word. lfyou
make contract to furnish butter to a
certain party at twenty-five cents per
pound by the year, stick to it, even it
he market price should reach double
that amount. Neither would l have
the honor to be all one sided. l. once
engaged butter to leading merchant
in this town, at twenty-five cents per
pound by the year. l made the con-
tract in the winter when butter was
high and scarce, he pronounced the
butter fine and was glad to get it. In
the summer when butter became plen-
ty he seemed TO feel sick, and he al
ways took particular pains to state the
lowest market prices. In fact he would
look like a martyr and l would go
home feeling like a pickpocket or an
escaped convict. And another point.
The people of this place are urging the
farmers to 90 into the dairy business,
that this is the way to lift your mort
gage, improve your homes and make
YOU serenely happy. But ladies and
gentlemen, what would you think when
tell you that called at one of our
leading produce dealers short time
ago and enquired the price of first
class butter. The clerk answered with
a very bland smile, sufficiently melting
to raise mercury ten degrees on the spot,
"ten cents mum if 1t Is very nice L
told him perhaps he would like me to
give it to him. l suppose such re-
mark would be considered very I'M
grateful coming from such an ignorant
granger like myself, but / could not
help thinking how that ten cents would
look credited on the back of 500
mortgage.
As far as adjoining our homes is con-
cerned, Mr.. Howard was right when he
said there was nothing so necessary
toward this al. q little money. | pre-
sumo I shall differ in opinion with q
good many in regard to what is consid-
cred farmers home. do not only
recognize the dwelling house as the
home, but every thing that surrounds it
goes to make up the picture of comfort
and plenty, or poverty and neglect.
The we'll arranged cottage with its vine
covered porch and neatly kept lawn,
the roony barn, with its airy stalls and
generous NOV, the long rows of COM
Portable cattle sheds, with large yards,
substantial racks and never failing wa
ters, the calf stable and sheep fold, the
convenient and well kept pens for the
hogs, the warm and wen lighted chick
tho oI,ol and raronarly yanfilatad