Live Stock and Dairy 191 



with creameries understand what the standard of measure or weight of 

 butter-fat is, but it is tny guess that there are thousands of farmers whom, 

 if they were asked this question, zvoiild not knoiv. We, of course, know 

 that butter is sold by the pound and cream by the pint, quart or gallon, 

 but what is butter-fat sold by? 



Butter-fat is the yellow substance which forms the larger part of 

 butter. Besides, this fat butter is composed of 16 per cent or less of 

 water and small amounts of salt, and other substances of which milk 

 is composed. From 80 to 85 per cent or so of ordinary butter is the 

 fat itself. It is sold by weight. The cream from which butter is 

 made is taken to the creamery and weighed, not measured. A small 

 sample is tested by the so-called Babcock test to determine the exact 

 percentage of fat, and payment mode on this basis. For instance, if 

 100 pounds of cream is one-third butter-fat, the dairyman receives 

 pay for 2Z 'A pounds of this substance. If it is only one-quarter fat, 

 he receives pay for 25 pounds. Ordinary cream varies within these 

 limits, but may be much richer or thinner. Cream after the butter- 

 fat is removed is much like skimmed milk, although it has less water 

 in it. 



Why Would Not Butter Come? 



What is the trouble ivifh cream that you churn on from Monday 

 until Saturday, then have to give up in despair and turn it out to the 

 hogsf We warmed it, and we cooled it, and used a dairy thermometer, 

 but nothing would do. 



If the cream was in churnable condition otherwise, the probability 

 is that it was too cool when you started churning. It should be 

 about 62° Fahrenheit. 



Drying a Persistent Milker. 



My cow is to come fresh about the middle of next month, and in the 

 last two weeks her milk has changed in some way so that the cream 

 makes very yellozv butter and comes to butter nearly as quick as when 

 the cow was fresh. Would it best for her to go entirely dry before com- 

 ing fresh, or will it be all right if she does not entirely dry upf 



If your cow has been able to pick up any special amount of grass 

 since the rains came it might add to the color of the butter. A 

 cow's milk also gets richer toward the end of her lactation period, 

 which may make a richer cream and make the butter come quickly 

 There does not seem to be anything to worry about. The cow would 

 probably do better if she could become entirely dry before calving, 

 but unless you can easily dry her up it would be dangerous to try 

 to force her to do so. 



Butter-fat in Sweet and Sour Cream. 



The creamery zvagon takes our cream every other day. Without 

 ice it is almost impossible to keep the cream sweet during the hot weather. 

 By the time the wagon gets here, several hours after the fourth milking. 



