THE DAIKT.] 



r\TTLF>. AND THEIR VATvTETTl-lS. [nuTTER and cnEESE. 



recommend thnt especial attention to clennli- 

 noss in tlie keepini; of all aiiinmlt*, whether old 

 or vouii;;, should form an essential portion of 

 the duty of their luH-pers. lu the cnilier stapes 

 of the life of the calf, it is extremely bad policy 

 to stint it in its food, "That calf," says tho j 

 author of The Cow, "may be said to bo always 

 fal which never loses its first layer; and, as 

 tlif dillVrence is often a question in after-fat- 

 tenini::, of some six months of keep, there can ' 

 be no question that it is of tho greatest im- ! 

 portauce to keep it well at iirsfc. Giving tho i 



calf that food which is easy of digestion, and 

 suited to its feeble stomach, in early life, allow- 

 ing it especially its mother's milk, the beest- 

 ings and tho soothing inlluonco of its motlier's 

 tongue— weaning it from new milk grailually 

 and cautiously, with a plentiful allowance of 

 good sweet hay, are the real elements of suc- 

 cess in calf- breeding. This course, with a 

 proper attention to air, warmth, exercise, and 

 cleanliness, is all that is required in the proper 

 management of young calves ; and will gene- 

 rally be found suliicieut for their health." 



CHAPTER V. 



MAXAGEMIiNT OF THE DAIRY. — GKXFTvAL OBSKRYATIONS ; BUTTER AND CHEESE; THE ART OF MILEING; 



PRKSERVATIOX OF MILK; TUE DAIRY. 



GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 



Amo>'Gst the almost endless varieties of form 

 in whicli food is used for the sustenance of 

 animal lite, there is none in which it appears 

 to be po universal as in that of milk. In this 

 form this liquid assumes the utmost importance. 

 It is the first aliment with which the young of 

 the whole class of the mammalia of natural 

 history is nourished. The lactiferous teats 

 are. to these, the earliest objects of their search ; 

 anil the instinctive power with which nature 

 has supplied them to seek, find, and use them, 

 so soon after their birth, is one of the very- 

 remarkable phenomena which have excited the 

 wonder of mankind. As tiie food of the rustic, 

 as v.ell as the citizen, it also takes a prominent 

 place. To tlie young especially it is exceed- 

 in^dy grateful ; wliilst, in the shape of cream, it 

 flavours the coffVe and the tea of the peer, as 

 well as the plough-boy. Its butter is spread 

 over their bread, and softens and enriches 

 their pa^^try. In the form of cheese it becomes 

 the diet of the pooi', and, in the same form, 

 frequently finishes the repast of the wealthy. 

 A beverage, therefore, so agreeable in itself, and 

 80 universally valuable in its products, has 

 necessarily, in all ages, received a high share 

 of cousideratiou iu the siurht of mankind. In 



the females of the class mammalia, it is white 

 and opaque, having a sweetish taste, and a 

 specific gravity somewhat greater than that of 

 water. When it is allowed to remain at rest, 

 it separates into a thick white fluid, called 

 cream, which collects on the surface, and the 

 fluid beneath which is more watery. The 

 quantity of cream obtained from miik, and the 

 time it requires to separate, vary according to 

 the nature of the milk, and the temperature of 

 the atmosphere. AV^hen the milk is allowed 

 to stand after the spontaneous separation of 

 the cream, it first becomes acescent, and then 

 coagulates. When the coagulum is pressed 

 gentl}', a serous fluid is forced out, and the 

 remuiudcr is tho caseous part, or pure cheese. 



BUTTER AND CHEESE. 



Butter and cheese are obtained artificially : 

 tho former by the operation of churning; and 

 the milk which remains after the butter has 

 been separated, or, as it is called, the butter- 

 milk, has all the properties of milk from which 

 the cream has been separated. Cheese is ob- 

 tained by the addition of rennet to the milk, 

 which is prepared by digesting the inner coat 

 of the stomach of young sucking animals, 

 especially that of the calf. The quality of the 



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