380 THE IMPROVED ART OF FARRIERY. 



tirkin, but which must not, however, be filled quite 

 up, but room left at top to receive a layer of salt half 

 an inch or an inch in thickness. In seven or eight 

 days, the salted butter detaches itself from the sides 

 of the firkin, shrinks, and occasions interstices. These, 

 if allowed to remain, would injure the butter, by ad- 

 mitting the contact of the air. They are, therefore, 

 to be filled up by a saturated solution of salt in water, 

 or brine strong enough to carry an e^^. The butter 

 is then to be covered by a new layer of salt, and the 

 head of the vessel put on. 



Before the butter is put into the firkin, care must 

 be taken that the latter be well seasoned, and this is 

 to be effected by exposing it for two or three weeks to 

 the air, and frequent washing. The readiest method 

 is, however, by the use of unslacked lime, or a large 

 quantity of salt and water well boiled, with which it 

 should be scrubbed several times, and afterwards 

 thrown into cold water, to remain three or four days 

 till wanted. It should then be scrubbed as before, 

 and well rinsed with cold water ; and before receiving 

 the butter, every part of the inside of the firkin must 

 be carefully rubbed with salt. Indeed, the surest 

 of all methods to preserve butter from spoiling, after 

 it has been properly salted, is to keep it constantly 

 immersed in a saturated solution of this substance. 



HOW TO TURN BARREN LAND INTO GOOD 

 PASTURE AND MEADOW. 



In one portion of the work T have already spoken 

 of the best mode of grazing cattle, &c. ; it may be here 



