162 



BUTTER. 



Butter. O f the first drawn, as ten or twelve to one ; but the 

 """V"--' quality of the cream of the last drawn was still more 

 superior than its quantity. The cream of the first 

 drawn tea-cupful of the milk was only a thin white 

 film ; in the last, it was of a thick butyraceous con- 

 sistence, and of a glowing richness of colour, such 

 as no other cream possesses. It is, therefore, ob- 

 serves Dr Anderson, of much more importance than 

 is commonly imagined, to milk the cows well ; for 

 on the cream of the last drawn milk depends entirely 

 the richness and delicate flavour of the butter." Now, 

 in the Highlands of Scotland, where they rear al- 

 most all their calves, the common practice is to ad- 

 mit the calf to suck the mother always for a certain 

 time before milking. And when the dairy-maid jud- 

 ges the calf has had enough, it is removed to the pen 

 or cruive, from which it had been brought. In this 

 way, the latter drawn parts of the milk only are ob- 

 tained for the dairy ; and the cream produced from 

 it being of a superior quality, the excellence of the 

 Highland butter seems to be accounted for. In the 

 higher districts of Galloway, a similar mode of ma- 

 nagement prevails, and their butter is observed to 

 be rich and delicate. It has been likewise ascertain- 

 ed, that the cream which first rises after the milk has 

 been deposited in the dairy-pans, is both much great- 

 er in a given space of time, than that which rises in 

 an equal space several hours after, and of a greatly 

 superior quality ; that thick milk throws up less 

 cream than thin, but of a richer quality ; and that 

 milk that has been much agitated by carrying, and 

 cooled before it is put into the milk-pans, never 

 throws up so much cream, as that which is immedi- 

 ately deposited in them after milking. It is also 

 known, that the milk is not at the best till about 

 four months after the cow has calved ; and that the 

 degree of heat most favourable to the production of 

 cream from milk, is from 50 to 55 degrees of Fah- 

 renheit's thermometer. " If the heat of the milk- 

 house," says Dr Anderson, " be too great, the milk 

 suddenly coagulates, without admitting of any sepa- 

 ration of the cream ; or it is so quickly turned sour, 

 as greatly to mar the operation. If, on the other 

 hand, the milk be exposed to too cold a tempera- 

 ture, the cream separates from it slowly, and with 

 difficulty ; it acquires a bitter and disagreeable taste ; 

 the butter can scarcely be made to come at all ; and 

 when it is come, it is so pale in the colour, so small 

 in quantity, and of such hard and brittle consist- 

 ence, so poor to the taste, and of so little value in 

 all respects, as to bring a very low price at the mar- 

 ket, compared to what it would have produced, had 

 it been preserved in a proper degree of heat." The 

 same judicious writer states it as his opinion, formed 

 from experience and attentive observation, that since 

 neither cream nor butter can be produced from milk, 

 till some portion of an acid be evolved in it, the 

 last drawn half of the milk only should, in general, 

 be set up for producing cream, and be allowed to 

 stand till it throw up the whole of its cream, even 

 till the milk tastes perceptibly sourish ; and that if 

 this cream be afterwards judiciously managed, the 

 butter thus obtained will be of a greatly superior 

 quality to what can be usually got at market, and its 

 quantity not considerably less, than if the whole of 



the milk had been originally set apart for producing 

 cream. " This, therefore," says he, " is the prac- * 

 tice that I should recommend, as most likely to 

 suit the frugal farmer ; as his butter, though of a 

 superior quality, could be afforded at a price that 

 would always ensure it a rapid sale." 



Cows, in summer, should be milked three times 

 a-day at least ; early in the morning, at noon, and 

 just before night-fall. If this be not done, the great- 

 est possible quantity of milk will be far from being 

 obtained from them. The milk is secreted in the 

 udder, very much in proportion to the quantity re- 

 quired, as we see in the case of dogs, cats, pigs, and 

 other animals, which produce more young than one 

 at a time ; and we know that a cow, by scanty milk- 

 ing, can very soon be put dry. It is therefore of 

 the utmost consequence, that the whole milk se- 

 creted be at each milking carefully drawn away. It 

 may be laid down as a pretty general rule, that 18 

 pounds of milk will yield one pound of butter; and 

 that this is the produce of a single cow per day. 

 Some, however, will furnish twice, or even thrice 

 this quantity. The effects of feeding, treatment, ma- 

 nagement, and the idiosincracy of particular animals, 

 are here astonishingly great. 



From 12 to 20 hours in summer, and about twice 

 as long in winter, should be permitted to elapse be- 

 fore the milk is skimmed, after it has been put into 

 the milk-pans. If, on applying the tip of the finger 

 to the surface, nothing adheres to it, the cream may 

 be properly taken off; and during the hot summer 

 months, this should always be done in the morning, 

 before the dairy becomes warm. The cream should 

 then be deposited in a deep pan, placed in the cool- 

 est part of the dairy ; or in a cool cellar, where free 

 air is admitted. In hot weather, churning should be 

 performed, if possible, every other day ; but if this 

 is not convenient, the cream should be daily shifted 

 into a clean pan ; and the churning should never be 

 less frequent than twice a-week. This work should 

 be performed in the coolest time of the day, and in 

 the coolest part of the house, where there is a free 

 draught of air. Cold water should be applied to 

 the churn, first by filling it with this, some time be- 

 fore the cream is poured in, and then by immersing 

 it in water to the depth of a foot or so, during the 

 operation, provided we use the pump-churn ; or by 

 applying wet cloths to it, if we use a barrel-churn. 

 Such means are generally necessary to prevent the 

 too rapid acidification of the cream, and formation 

 of the butter. 



The winter season and cold weather, of 'course, re- 

 quire an opposite practice ; but we can hardly be 

 too cautious in the application of heat ; for the com- 

 mon practices of wrapping the churn in a warm 

 cloth, plunging it into hot water, adding warm milk 

 to the cream, or placing the churn near the fire, all 

 tend to injure the butter. The best way, perhaps, 

 is to heat the churn, by filling it with boiling water 

 before the cream is put in, and to place it in the 

 warmest part of the house ; but not close by a fire. 



The operation of churning ought to be moderate, 

 equable, and uninterrupted ; for if we stop or relax 

 in our exertions, the butter will go back, as it is call- 

 ed j and if the motion be too quick and violent, the 



Butter. 



