NO. 3. 



TUB PARMIiKS' CABINET. 



35 



the butter. As soon as i.t is made, it must 

 be separated I'rom tiie milk, and put into a 

 clean dish : the inside of which, if of wood, 

 should previously be well rubbed with com- 

 mon salt, to prevent the butter from adhering 

 to it. Tlie butter should then be pressed and 

 worked with a flat wooden ladle, or skim- 

 ming dish, having a short handle, so as to 

 press out all tiie milk that may be lodged in 

 the cavities of the mass. A considerable de- 

 gree of dexterity, as well as of strength, is 

 requisite in this manipulation: for if tlie milk 

 be not entirely removed, the butter will in- 

 fallibly spoil in a short time ; and if it be 

 much worked, the butter will become tough 

 and gluey, which greatly debases its quality. 

 This effect is also occasioned by pouring cold 

 water on the butter, fur the purpose of wash- 

 ing it; a practice entirely useless, as the but- 

 ler can be effectually cleared of the milk in 

 the way we have stated. 



In salting or curn)g. the butter, the use of 

 wooden vessels is preferable. These should 

 previously be rendered as clean and sweet as 

 possible, well rubbed with salt, and the cavity 

 between the bottom and sides filled with 

 melted butter. An excellent composition for 

 preserving butter may be made, by reducing 

 into line power, and carefully mixing to- 

 gether, sugar and nitre, of each one part, and 

 two parts of the best common salt. Of this 

 composition, one ounce should be thoroughly 

 mixed with every sixteen ounces of butter, 

 as soon as the latter has been freed from the 

 milk; and the butter fnust be immediately 

 put into the firkin, being pressed so close as 

 to leave no air holes, or any kind of cavities 

 within it. The surface must be smoothed ; 

 and if a day or two be expected to elapse be- 

 fore more can be added, the vessel must be 

 closely covered up with a piece of clean lin- 

 en, on which should be laid a piece of wet- 

 led parchment, or (if this is not procurable)' 

 with a piece of fine linen, dipped in melted 

 butter, exactly to the edges of the vessel all 

 round, so as to exclude the air as much as 

 possible. 



When more butter is to be added, these 

 coverings are to be removed; the butter is to 

 be applied close to the former layer, pressing 

 it down, and smoothing it as before, till the 

 vessel is full. The two covers are then to 

 be spread over it with the greatest care ; and 

 a little melted butter poured all round the 

 edges, so as to fill up every part, and effec- 

 tually to exclude the air. A little salt may 

 then be strewed over the whole, and the cover 

 firmly fixed down. Butter thus secured, 

 does not taste well till it has stood at least a 

 fortnight after it has been salted. After that 

 period it acquires a rich marrow taste, and 

 will continue perfectly sweet in a moderate 



I climate, for many years, If it be quickly 

 'consumed, it m-y bo taken up as wanted, 

 i without any other precaution than that ot 

 I keeping it carefully covered up; but if it is 

 to be used very tlowly, and it acquires a 

 rancid taste, from exposing it to the air, a 

 strong brine of salt (strong enough to float an 

 egg) should be poured, when cold on the sur- 

 face of the butter; and although the quality 

 of the latter will be somewhat injured by the 

 action of the water, yet that is a much lesa 

 evil than the slightest rancidity would occa- 

 sion. 



When butter is to be exposed to the heat 

 of a warmer climate, it should be purified by 

 melting before it is salted and j acked up. 

 For this purpose let it be put in a proper ves- 

 sel, and this immersed into nnolher, contain- 

 ing water. Let the water be heated until the 

 butter is thoroughly melted ; let it continue 

 in this state for some lime, when the impure 

 parts will subside, leaving at the top a per- 

 fectly pure transparent oil. This, when it 

 cools, will become opaque, and assume a 

 color nearly resembling that of the original 

 butter, being only somewhat paler, and of a 

 firmer consistence. When this refined butter 

 has become a little stiff, but while it is some- 

 what soft, the pure part may be separated 

 from the dregs, and salted and packed up in 

 the same manner as other butter ; it will con- 

 tinue sweet much longer in hot climates, as 

 it retains the salt better than in its original 

 state. It may also be preserved sweet with- 

 out salt; by adding an ounce of fine honey 

 to every pound ot butter, and mixing them 

 thoroughly,so that they may be perfectly incor- 

 porated. A mixture of this sort has a sweet, 

 pleasant taste, and will keep for years with- 

 out becoining rancid. 



From the New England Fanner. 



Olden tiaiic iu Pennsylvania. 



As introduclory to shewing the Rise and 

 Progress of the best of the Agriculture 

 and Gardening in the State. 

 Pennsylvania had a small beginning. 

 King Charles' Patent, or Charter to Wil- 

 liam Penn is dated March 4, 1680. That 

 summer he sent people and materials, with 

 instructions to select the most suitable site 

 for a city and to build him a house. They 

 fixed and built his house, and laid out the 

 city 25 miles higher no the river, than where 

 Philadelphia was built; another party fixed 

 and laid out the place of the city about 10 or 

 12 miles below ; that is yet called Old Phil- 

 adelphia. William Penn remained in Eng- 

 land, and obtained another charter IVoin 

 James, Duke of York, for the state of Dela- 

 ware, then called the Territories of New- 



