122. BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



dry pasture, in which the cows shall spend a good part 

 of each not stormy day in the winter and spring, and all 

 of every night during the summer and fall. This will keep 

 the cows much healthier and the butter much better. It 

 will also save the bad effects on cows and butter of too sud- 

 den change to the main pasture in spring. Give salt regularly 

 and moderately. Let the water be that from a pure, run- 

 ning stream, and, if possible, from a stream that flows 

 rapidly over stones and pebbles. Never use the milk of a 

 very fresh or very stale cow ; do not use the milk of a cow 

 that is in season, or that has been run by boys or dogs, or 

 that has been standing knee-deep in mud, or is in pain or 

 ill-health. Card and brush the cow all over daily. Milk 

 quickly, steadily, quietly and thoroughly. Do not sweep 

 out the stable or brush the cows immediately before milking. 

 Milk l)efore cleaning up, or give the dust a chance to settle 

 first. As soon as the milk-pail is filled take it out of the 

 stable, and get it as soon as possible to the milk-room. 

 Don't let the milker go into the milk-room ; let him hand it 

 to some person in the house to take in there. There are no 

 milkmaids or milking machines as good as a man. Let the 

 milk-room be above ground, and be filled with pure and 

 constantly changing air. Set the milk in shallow, open 

 pans, and let it be from 1| to 2|- inches deep. Let the 

 temperature of the room be 60° morning, noon and night 

 the year round. A milk-room which fulfils these conditions 

 will cost from three hundred to thirteen hundred dollars, 

 and will entail much annual expense for ice and coal ; but it 

 can be made, and, with small, round, shallow, open pans, 

 produces the only perfect butter. But as these conditions are 

 not within the reach of many dairies, it gives me pleasure to 

 recommend the Ferguson creamer, which, at the cost of 

 one hundred dollars, and a moderate outlay for coal and 

 ice, gives a very near and extremely convenient approach to 

 the perfect milk-room mentioned above. 



The gilt-edged Jersey butter we speak of can be made in 

 no way but by shallow, open setting at 60°. In no other 

 way can the volatile, aromatic, flavoring oils be liberated, 

 and the firm, waxy grain be preserved. Skim at twenty- 

 four to thirty-six hours ; ripen for twelve or twenty-four 



