THE DAIRY-ROOM. 221 



Many things, indeed, concur to produce the best re- 

 sults, and it would be useless to underrate the import- 

 ance of any ; but, with the best of cows to impart the 

 proper color and consistency to butter, the sweetest 

 feed and the purest water to secure a delicate flavor, 

 the utmost care must still be bestowed by the dairymaid 

 upon every process of manufacture, or else the best of 

 milk and cream will be spoiled, or produce an article 

 which will bring only a low price in the market, when, 

 with greater skill, it might have obtained the highest. 



From what has been said of the care requisite to pre- 

 serve the milk from taint, it may be inferred that atten- 

 tion to the milk and dairy room is of no small importance. 

 In very large butter-dairies, a building is devoted ex- 

 clusively to this department. This should be at a short 

 distance from the yard, or place of milking, but no 

 further than is necessary to be removed from all impur- 

 ities in the air arising from it, and from all low, damp 

 places, subject to disagreeable exhalations. This is of 

 the utmost importance. It should be well ventilated, 

 and kept constantly clean and sweet, by the use of pure 

 water ; and especially, if milk is spilled, it should be 

 washed up immediately, with fresh water. No matter if 

 it is but a single drop; if allowed to soak into the floor 

 and sour, it cannot easily be removed, and it is sufficient 

 to taint the air and the milk in the room, though it may 

 not be perceptible to the senses. 



In smaller dairies, economy dictates the use of a room 

 in the house ; and this, in warm climates, should be on 

 the north side, and used exclusively for this purpose. 

 I have known many to use a room in the cellar as a 

 milk-room ; but very few cellars are at all suitable. 

 Most are filled with a great variety of articles which 

 never fail to infect the air. 



But, if a house-cellar is so built as to make it a suita- 

 19* 



