220 



F A R M E K S ' li E G I ST E K 



[No. 4 



yjphorhm I. 

 Of the milk tliat is drawn from any cow at one time, 

 that which comes olf at the fnst is always thinner, 

 and of a much worse quality, than that which comes 

 afterwards, and the richness goes on continually iti- 

 creasing to the very last drop that can be drawn fioni 

 the udder at that time. 



Few persons aie ignorant that milk, which is 

 taken from the cow last of ail at milking, which 

 in this country is called strokings, is richer than 

 the rest of the milk ; but iewer still are aware of 

 the greatness of the disproportion between the 

 quality of the first and the last drawn milk from 

 the same cow at one milking. The following facts 

 respecting this circumstance were ascertained by 

 me many years ago, and have been confirmed by 

 many subsequent experiments and observations. 



Having taken several large tea-cups, exactly of 

 the same size and shape, one ol these tea-cups 

 was filled at the beginning o( the cow milking, 

 and the others at regular intervals till the last, 

 which was filled with the dregs of the strokings. 

 These were each weighed, the weight of each 

 cup being settled so as to ascertain that the quan- 

 tity of milk in each was precisely the same ; and 

 from a great number of experiments, Irequeutly 

 repeated, with many dilierenlcows, the result was 

 in all cases thus : 



1. The quantity of cream obtained from the first 

 drawn cup was, in every case, much smaller than 

 from that which was last drawn; and those be- 

 tween afforded less or more, as they were nearer 

 the beginning or the end. It is unnecessary here 

 to specify these intermediate proportions ; but it is 

 proper that the reader should be informed that the 

 quantify of cream obtained fi'om the last drawn 

 cup, fi'om some cows, exceeded that from tiie first 

 in the proportion of sixteen to one. In other cows, 

 however, and in particular circumstances, the dis- 

 proportion was not quite so great ; but in no case 

 did I find it fall short of the rate of eight to one. 

 Probably, upon an average ofa great many cows, 

 it might be Ibund to run at ten or twelve to one. 



2. The difierence in the quality of the cream, 

 however, obtained from these two cups, was nnjch 

 greater than the difference in the quantity. In the 

 first cup t!ie cream was a thia tougli film, thinner, 

 and perhaps whiter, than the paper on which I 

 write ; in tlie last, the cream was of a thick huty- 

 rous CGnsi.?tence, and of a glowing richness of co- 

 lor, that no other kind of cream i.s ever found to 

 possess. 



3. The difTerence in the quality of the milk that 

 remained after the cream was separated, was per- 

 haps still greater than either in respect to the ([uan- 

 tity or the quality of the cream. The milk in the 

 first cup was a thin bluish liquid, like as ii a very 

 large proportion of water had been mixed with or- 

 dinary milk; that in the last cup was of a thick 

 consistence and yellow color, more resembling 

 cream than milk, both in taste and appearance. 



From this important experiment it appears, that 

 the person who, by bad milkmg of his cows, loses 

 but half a pint of his milk, loses, in fact, about as 

 much cream as would be afforded by six or eight 

 pints at the beginning, and loses tiesides, that part 

 of the cream which alone can give richness and 

 high flavor to his butter. Many other uselLiI corol- 

 laries may be drawn from it, which I do not at 

 present stop to enumerate. Some of them will oc- 

 cur in the sequel. 



/Jplmrism II. 

 If milk be put up in a dish and allowed to stand till it 

 throws up creani, that portion of cream whicli rises 

 first to the surface is richer in quality, and greater 

 in quantity, than what rises in a second equal por- 

 tion of time; anil the cream that rises in the second 

 interval of time is greater in quantity and richer in 

 quality than that which rises in a third equal space 

 of time; and that ol the third than t!ie fourth, and 

 so on, the cream that rises decieases in quantity, 

 and declines in quahty continually as long as any 

 rises to the surface. 



j\]y ex[)erimcnls not having been in this case 

 made with so much accuracy as in the former, I 

 have not been enabled to ascertain the difference 

 in the proportion that takes place in eiiual propor- 

 tions of time ; but they have been so often repeat- 

 ed as not to leave any room to doubt the lact; and 

 it will be allowed to be a fact of no small import- 

 ance in the maiingcment of the dairy. It is not cer- 

 tain, however, but tliat a grcalei (yi/rt/i/i'/y of cream 

 may upon the whole be obtained from the milk by 

 taking it away at diflerent times ; but the process 

 is so troublesome as not to be coimler-balanced by 

 the increased (luantity obtained, if indeed an addi- 

 tional quantity be thus obtained, which is not as 

 yet fully certain. 



jjphorisin III. 

 Thick milk always throws up a smaller proportion of 

 the cream it actually contains to the surlace, than 

 milk that is thinner, but that cream is ofa richer qua- 

 lity; and if water be added to that thick milk it will 

 allord a considerably greater quantity of cream tlian 

 it would have done if a.llovsed to rtniain pure; but 

 its quality is at the same time greatly debased. 

 This is a f^ict that every person attentive to a 

 dairy must have remarked; but I have never heard 

 of any experiment that could ascertain either the 

 precise amount of the increased quantity of cream 

 that might thus be obtained, or of the ratio in the 

 decrease of its quality; but it ascertanis the efiects 

 at least of mixing water with the milk in a dairy; 

 and the knowledge of this liict will enable atten- 

 tive peisons to Ibllow that practice which they 

 ihiid; will best promote their own interest. 

 y/phorism IJ\ 



Milk which is put into a buclcet, or other proper ves- 

 sel, and carried in it to any considerable distance, so 

 as to be much agitated, and in part cooled, before it 

 he put into the milk-pans to settle for cream, never 

 throws up so much or as rich cream, as if the same 

 milk had been put into the milk-pans directly after 

 it was milked. 



In this case it is believed the loss of cream will 

 be nearly in proportion to the time that has elaps- 

 ed, and the agitation it has sustained after being 

 drawn from the cow. But I am not as yet in pos- 

 session of any experiments that sufficiently ascer- 

 tain how much is to be ascribed to the time, and 

 the agitation, taken separately. On every branch 

 of agriculture we find experiments wanting at 

 each step we advance in our inquiries. The labors 

 of no one man can complete the whole; but it is 

 the duty of evety inquirer to point out, as he goes 

 along, where they are wanted. 



From tlio Genesee Farmer. 

 FEEDING SHEEP. 



To have sheep do well in our severe winters, 

 they should not only have enough to eat, but it 



