224 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



for gathering the butter is from 66 to 68 F., this rendering it of proper softness and 

 adhesiveness. If .the cream is too cold while churning, the butter globules, being hard, will 

 not unite as readily; while if too warm, they will be in a semi-fluid state, and consequently 

 will not unite for this reason. Care should therefore be exercised to keep the cream at a 

 proper temperature. It is generally conceded that the cooler the cream can be kept, and at 

 the same time have the fat globules of a suitable temperature to unite, the better. It is 

 generally known that the melting point of butter made on dry hay is a trifle higher than that 

 produced on grass, or while feeding with oil cake, the quality of the feed influencing the 

 character of the butter globules. This explains why it is sometimes necessary to churn a few 

 degrees warmer in winter than in summer. 



Time Required for Churning. The time required for the butter to separate, as 

 well as its quality and quantity, depends much upon the temperature. Half an hour, at least, 

 is considered essential for churning by experienced dairymen, and from forty- five minutes to 

 one hour when the quantity of cream is large. If the butter comes much sooner, it is liable 

 to be soft and frothy; while if a much longer time is required, the butter will have a bad 

 flavor. By a gentle, slow motion in churning, the butter leaves the churn in a better con 

 dition, and requires comparatively less working to extract the buttermilk. A good authority 

 on this subject says: 



&quot; When butter is to come in a few minutes by violent agitation, as in the strife for the 

 repute of quick work in case of trials of new churns, there is obtained, instead of good butter 

 in dense and large clumps, a doughy mass consisting of little balls of fat mixed with butter 

 milk and cream, and full of air bubbles, which no skill in working can convert into good 

 butter. While it is true that violent churning will produce a greater weight of so-called 

 butter, it is demonstrated by chemical analysis that the milk or cream thus treated does not 

 yield so much of its fat as is obtained by slower and gentler agitation. The greater weight 

 of the product is due to the admixture of buttermilk, which is retained in the spongy mass. 

 The fact that churning must go on for some time before any visible change is effected in the 

 cream, and that the butter comes somewhat suddenly, is due to the exceeding minuteness 

 of the fat globules, of which myriads must unite before they attain a size visible to the 

 unaided eye.&quot; 



As the buttermilk begins to appear, if a moderate quantity of water or brine at a tem 

 perature of 56 or 58 is added, the butter separates very rapidly. 



Washing Butter. In order to have butter keep well, without danger of rancidity 

 and loss of its fine flavor, great care should be used to remove the buttermilk as completely 

 as possible. It is a good plan to draw off the buttermilk from the churn, and turn in cold 

 water in sufficient quantity to wash it thoroughly, after which a few revolutions of the churn 

 will wash out the buttermilk. It can never be wholly removed by simply working or 

 kneading the butter. Casein prevents butter from keeping well, and can only be removed 

 by thoroughly washing it. 



Some dairymen prefer weak brine to water for washing; in either case the butter should 

 be washed until the water or brine comes out clear. The butter should not be permitted, 

 however, to remain long in either water or brine during the washing process; the quicker 

 and more thoroughly this can be done the better. It should be remembered that all brine 

 used in washing butter should be carefully strained through a cloth before using, to remove 

 any specks it may contain. In Holland it is customary to mix a considerable amount of 

 water in churning, the butter thus being partially washed as it comes; besides, the butter is 

 afterwards thoroughly washed with water. Butter thus washed is remarkable for its keeping 

 qualities. Holstein butter makers put water in the cream while churning, but do not wash 

 it afterwards. This butter has at first a delicious aroma, but does not keep as well as butter 



