DAIRY PRODUCTS. 115 



all — engaged in this business may well feel proud that they 

 are not only furnishing the choicest food luxiwies of the 

 table, but adding to material wealth ; and instead of deeming 

 it drudgery, and esteeming it a hardship, may feel it a pleas- 

 ure, thereby exciting the envy, instead of the pity, of those 

 deprived of this employment. 



The dairy interest lies near the foundation of our present 

 system of agriculture, and is a fruitful source of inestimable 

 value. Therefore to improve upon and perfect the best mode 

 of butter and cheese making, knowledge of which is yet in 

 its infancy, would seem to be of paramount importance to 

 the farming interests, especially of Franklin County. 



C. L. FiSK, Sen., Chairman. 



HINGHAM. 



[From the Report of the Committee on Butter.] 



Changes may doubtless be made in every dairy, which will 

 improve the quantity or quality of butter made. Some rec- 

 ommend cooling cream in summer with ice : others say good 

 butter cannot be made if it is used. The thermometer has 

 not yet come into general use in determining the tempera- 

 ture at the time of churning. It probably is useful, though 

 good butter is made without it. It is more important to have 

 the temperature right at the end of the process of churning 

 than at the beginning. If the churning is too rapid, a loss in 

 quantity of butter is the result ; the buttermilk absorbing a 

 portion of the cream. When there is danger of this, milk 

 should be added before churning, to retard the coming of the 

 butter. 



Many a good churning is spoiled by using the hands in 

 working or salting. When necessary' to soften, change the 

 temperature of the room. 



Butter buyers demand a good bright color at all times of 

 year. Thus in winter much artificial coloring is used ; and 

 we know of nothing so harmless as annotto, which is an 

 extract of the outer coating of the seeds of a Brazilian ever- 

 green. It is free from taste and odor, and pure in color. We 

 prefer cows that make good butter the year round, and then 



