The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1891-10-03

Dakota blizzard, even though greatly
modified before it reaches Florida, creates
degree of cold fer a few hours which Ia
quite out OF proportion to the average win.
ter temperature.
his favorite cow is his native Holstein
though he seems to be quite free from pre-
judice. While admitting that the best
COWS he has seen in Florida do not give
over half as much as they do in Holland.
he claims that their milk is fully twice as
rich IN cheese and butter elements. Ut
may be worth while to say just here
that Mr.. Donk has been in Florida seven
years and prefers it TO Holland; consequent
ly, he cannot be accused of prejudice in
favor of the fatherland). More than that:
Florida milk is finer than that of Holland:
that is, it can be made into cheese and
butter with less trouble in hot weather
He explains that in this way: the soil of
Holland, being reclaimed from the ocean.
is exceedingly rich in decayeG vegetable
matter and produces a wonderful amount
of grass, but that grass is soft and watery.
yields quality of milk which will more
readily ferment and make "huffy" cheese
and yeasty butter than the Florida article
does. In other words, the Florida grass
is sweeter and the Florida cheese is firmer
and of finer quality than those of Hol-
land.
He does not think any breed of COWS
can be made TO yield the enormous masses
OF milk which are recorded of northern
COWS, the climate renders it impossible.
But the richness Of their milk and the
cheapness with which cows can be kept
60 far toward compensaing for this, even
if they do not overbalance it.
A cows yield of milk varies almost as
much as the thermometer here. During
blizzard it drops away down, but RECEIVERS
in few days.
DAIRY FEEDS
Mr.. Donk values sweet potatoes above
every other article of feed. Rutabagas
make cow poor and her milk watery.
COttonseed or cOttonseed meal is an excel
lent feed to make butter or cheese
causing butter 10 standlup in the hottest
weather; but it imparts dsagreeable
taste to both which it is impossible to con-
| ceal. AS a professional butter maker, of
course, it would give him great pleasure to
make solid butter in July; but he cannot
| afford TO sell 1t for twenty-five cents
pound (Which all those who feed cotton
! seed are forced to accept(, while by not using
it he can and does receive thirty the year
round. Whether Mr.. Donk decides this
| question from professional or CONNER.
cial point OF view we would not venture
TO guess. Cottonseei used to be 80 cheap
that it would probably have paid to feed it
| for butter at twenty-five cents; but it is
getting TO be so much 10 demaLd, for oi!
and fertilizer that sweet potatoes would
probably be the cheaper feed, especially
when producing butter worth five cents
more per pound. In cold weather be
gives what hay they eat through the night.
If the winter is warm the cows I'LL them
smut grass and do not care for much hay.
MILKING, ETC.
The cows are MIXED in the open barn
yard. The mixer approaches with box
stool and piece of light rope with which
he takes two turns around the cows hind
legs above the knee, binding them close to-
gether. The cows are gentle and make no
resistance and not one escapes. The TWEEN
ty-two cows yielded about ten gallons,
good many of them being near the point
of going dry. Their udders being Uniform
ly small, but yield milk out of proportion
10 their promise. Mr.. DOnk says that if
the calf is always removed at the birth and
the udder promptly drained dry by good
mixer it will remain thin and small. But
| if the calf is allowed to suck it does not
| take all the milk some is left which in
flames the udder and creates permanent
feshiness, and feshy udder does not
yield as much as one would expect from
it's appearance.
He feeds his calves new milk only few
days, then gradually substitutes skinned
milk and butter.milk and lowers the tenn.
perature of it until in few weeks they &C.
cept 1t without any heating. Now and
then one gets the scours
MAKING CHEESE.
His rule is, FIVE rennets make quart of
extract A brine is made strong enough
TO barely float an egg. and rennets are
soaked in this ten days or two weeks. A
teacup of strong vinegar is then added to
keep it. A teaspoon of this extract will
curdle three gallons of milk. To show US
The process nine quarts of milk were set,
the extract thoroughly stirred into II. and
10 ten minutes II had curdled. Mrs. Donk
then, with her hand thrust 10 the bottom,
carefully and slowly broke the curd into
small pieces, occupying several minutes 30
AZ not to make the whey run of white.
| The curd is To be broken but not mashed.
After it stood a few minutes longer the
curd settled to the bottom and the whey
was poured off. The Dutch cheese-hoop
is turned out of some light wood, such as
willow, with perforated, rounded bot
tom, and very small, the largest only max
| ing q ten pound cheese. Tho curd 10
crammed into 1t with much patting and
squeezing In the hand, the Dutch cheese
maker seems 10 attach the highest Inn
portance to the hand as . plastic imple-
ment in this art. making the curd stick TO.
gelher and reducing It TO the greatest sol
{dity. Certainly this def little woman 10
halt hour from the time the milk was oct
had remarkably firm ball Of curd. A
follower was placed ON 1t and TWO iron
pound weights Get on top. Every few
minutes it was taken out and reversed 70
make both its sides equally rounded. 10
less than two hours the cheese was made
and weighed little over three pounds.
But it had to be cured yet, and for TINS
purpose II was placed ina brine strong
enor Oh to hold an egg with spot 90 large
as nickle out Of the brine. In THIS u