CURING buttp:r in this country and abroad. 205 



whole of the new milk ; of course this is necessary when the 

 whole hulk is l((j)percd or soured. In deep setting the cream 

 should be dipped off. 



If cream were left long enough on the milk it would be 

 entirely consumed 1)y the germs and the fermentation induced 

 liy them, just as both animal and vegetable matter have been 

 seen to fall a prey to this destructive agency. But in tlie 

 incipient stages of this change there is a proper ripeness, or 

 state of the cream, from which the best general result is obtained. 

 A high temperature Ijrings it more rapidly, and it is indicated 

 by a moderate degree qf acidity and pretty firm consistency in 

 the coagulum. The acidity should alike pervade the whole 

 bulk, — if some is sweet and some sour the latter will churn 

 first and loss result; hence it is a good practice to mix the 

 different messes, — stir them well and allow them to stand for 

 12 hours at 60°. If colder, it should stand longer; warmer, 

 shorter. Even if only from one vessel it should stand until tlie 

 whole is evenly ripened, for the top is relatively riper than the 

 bottom. Cream spoils quicker than milk, and on this account 

 should be kept cooler. But better mix with milk and churn 

 than keep it long ; and if for this purpose the temperature 

 refpiire to he. changed, it should be done slowly, by placing the 

 vessel in either cold or hot water as desired. 



Lap2Jcring. 



This is the term applied to a method of treating milk previous 

 to its beinu,' manufactured into butter. It seems to be more 

 common in Scotland and in Holland than any other country in 

 Europe. It consists in setting milk in the ordinary way as for 

 cream raising. Here the falling temperature is of no account. 

 After it has been allowed to sit for 12 hours, — longer or shorter 

 according to temperature, — it is then emptied into the lappering 

 dish, generally, when made for the purpose, about 2 feet high 

 by 1| broad, and where, in summer, it soon begins to acidify. 

 In winter it will not readily sour of itself, and consequently a 

 little acid buttermilk is added to hasten the operation. It has 

 been before mentioned the danger of allowing milk to become 

 sour when cream is raised by the ordinar}^ plan of setting. But 

 the extent of acidity which produces tlie lapper is only on the 

 road to the stage at which a greater degree will, by the produc- 

 tion of alcohol, reduce the quantity and deteriorate the quality. 

 Acidity, though a powerful agent for evil, is also, when skilfully 

 used, a useful one to the cheese-maker, and little less so to the 

 butter-maker. By a proper control of this agent unquestionably 

 more butter will be produced than by any other method ; some 

 even say the quality is also improved, but to this the writer 



