BUTTER MAKING. 73 



like to see a series of scientific experiments made to de- 

 termine both the effects of oxygen and the effects of lac- 

 tic acid on the butter product of cream. At present, 

 theory and practice vary so widely with different butter 

 makers who turn out a high-priced butter for the mar- 

 ket, that one is led to doubt all theories and query whe- 

 ther the quality of butter does not depend on something 

 not yet known, which is independent of all current theo- 

 ries and practices. 



CHURNING. 



And as to the proper time of churning, there is an 

 equal divergence of opinion and practice. One churns 

 his cream sweet, another wants it slightly changed, a 

 third wants positive acidity in the cream, and a fourth 

 loppers the cream, while a fifth lets the cream stand 

 even twelve hours after loppering and this extremely 

 sour cream butter sells for the very highest market 

 price. So we are left all at sea, so far as acidity is an 

 element in butter making. Again, to further illustrate 

 these extremes, w^hile a gentleman in Vermont is setting 

 his neighbors agog by raising cream in a vacuum, a Can- 

 ada gentleman is experimenting with an invention to 

 raise cream by hydrostatic pressure and get the fat of the 

 milk so pure as to dispense with churning. We hope 

 both will succeed. 



TEMPERATURES. 



There is not so wide a difference in opinion and prac- 

 tice as regards the temperature at which churning should 



be done in order to secure the best results; yet there is 

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