274 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



Composition of Cream. — Cream does not consist wholly of 

 the fatty nutter of milk, but also of a variable proportion 

 of curd or cheesy matter, and a small quantity of milk sugar. 

 It is owing to the presence of this cheesy matter and sugar 

 that butter becomes rancid. Hence the importance of know- 

 ing the conditions under which the milk must be placed, in 

 order that the cream may rise as free as possible from these 

 deleterious ingredients. The proportion of cheesy matter in 

 cream depends in a great measure on the temperature at 

 which the milk is kept during the rising of the cream. In cool 

 weather the fatty matter brings up with it more of the curd ; 

 and consequently butter made of such cream cannot be the 

 best. It is the practice of some to warm their milk-rooms 

 in winter, in order to facilitate the rising of the butter parti- 

 cles, and keeping them free from cheesy matter. Others, 

 to avoid the expense of heating the milk-room, place the milk 

 in tin pans on a stove till the cream has risen, being careful 

 not to allow it to boil. By this method the amount of cream 

 is greatly increased in cold weather, and it is much more 

 readily changed into butter than when the cream is allowed to 

 rise without artificial aid. Warm water will produce nearly 

 the same effect ; the quality of the butter, however, is slightly 

 deteriorated. 



Churning. — There are two modes of practice with regard 

 to the process of churning, each of which has its advocates. 

 The whole milk may be churned, or the cream only. When 

 the entire milk is churned, the temperature of the milk, when 

 the churning commences, ought to be 65° ; cream ought not 

 to be warmer than 55°. In colder weather it is often neces- 

 sary to add hot water to the cream to raise it to 55°. But 

 in hot weather it is difficult to keep the cream down to this 

 comparatively low temperature ; and if churned in this cool 

 state, only a second rate butter can be obtained. Those who 

 prefer using the entire milk, claim for their process many 

 advantages. The proper temperature can be easily obtained, 

 both in winter and summer. More butter can be got from 

 the same quantity of milk. Butter of the best quality can 

 be obtained without difficulty in winter and summer. The 

 butter is not only of the best quality while fresh, but is 

 also best for long keeping. The time occupied in churning 



