148 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



NOV, 9. 18*iJ. 



From tlie Cleveland Dciily Herald. 



BUTTER MAKING. 



Travelling across the Western Reservp, a year 

 or two since, in connpany with a gentleman from 

 New York, I was surprised to hear liim state that 

 "in the eastern markets, Ohio butter was a bye- 

 word, a term synonynjous with dirty butter." 



I attempted to defend the character of the pro- 

 duction of our dairies, and we compromised matters 

 for the present, by atjreeingto rest the decision up- 

 on the samples wo should meet with on the tables 

 of the public houses in the cour.se of the journey. 

 In the end, I had the mortification to find, in a ma- 

 jority of instances, either an oily, rancid, or a ring 

 streaked and spotted article was set before us, that 

 came within the limits of his description. 



This should not be. Butter is one of the sta- 

 ples of northern Ohio, and that which is well made, 

 will in all instances, command a cash price suffi- 

 cient to compensate the dairyman for the extra la- 

 bor he bestows upon it. 



My wife and myself claim the merit of being 

 adepts, or as political demagogues would say, "ren/ 

 workies" in this business, founded on a practical 

 experience of near twenty years. 



Our [nethod I will detail ; first premising that it 

 is perhaps no better than that pursued hy many 

 others, for there is here and there a family that 

 furnishes a prime article, though a large share of 

 that which conies into market is of an opposite 

 character. The publication of our method may in- 

 duce others to throw more light on the subject. In 

 our hands it is invariably successful, but it is like 

 certain chemical processes, mad<} up of a series of 

 manipulations, the omission of any one of which 

 may derange the whole, and endanger the result. 

 Every part must be carefully carried out. 



1. Choice of Cows. — A judicious selection from 

 the common stock, I deem to be equal if not supe- 

 rior to any of the imported. The Devons and 

 Bakewells I have tried, and found them deficient in 

 the quantity of milk they afford. The Durhams I 

 have not tested. The Gore breed was introduced 

 into Portage county some years since, by a gentle- 

 man, I think, of the name of Thorndike, from Mas- 

 sachusetts. A few of the descendants and crosses 

 are to be met with in the south part of Trumbull 

 county, and they prove to be the best of milkers. 

 The quantity and quality of the milk surpass that 

 of any other breed in our section uf the country. 



2. Change of Pastures. — To insure the produc- 

 tion of the largest quantity of butter, a frequent 

 change of pasture is required. A farm should be 

 go fenced that the cows can be changed into a dif- 

 ferent lot every four or five days. 



3. Salting. — A constant and full supply of salt 

 should lie before our cows in some secure place. 

 They will eat moderately what they require. If 

 only occasionally furnished, they often take it in 

 quantities so large, as to act medicinally to their 

 injury. 



It corrects almost any bad quality of the milk, 

 arising from the eating of aromatic or bitter herbs, 

 and also much of iho natural i^iiiinal odor, that fre- 

 quently impairs the sweetness of butter. 



4. Water. — It is perhaps superfluous to add, that 

 without a full and steady supply of this article f«r 

 his cows, the hopes of the dairyman will never be 



A large and deep excaration can be made in the 

 several pasture lots, or between two or three of 

 them, so as to answer the purpose, except in very 

 protracted droughts. It should be so enclosed that 

 cattle can approach it and drink, without running 

 into it. 



5. Driving — kind treatment. — Many a faithful 

 cow has been seriously impaired by a careless boy 

 driving her furiously to and from the pasture. All 

 harsh treatment of any kind, as scolding, striking, 

 kicking, &c., is also detrimental. I have known 

 many cows rendered worthless from these causes. 



The utmost kindness and gentleness of manner 

 must be shown on the part of those who manage 

 our stock. I once dismissed a hired man for strik- 

 ing my cows. Too much cannot be said on this 

 point. 



6. Mining. — This process should be done sys- 

 tematically at regular periods of the day. Sunrise 

 and sunset are perhaps the best periods ; for imme- 

 diately after the one, and before the other, cows in 

 hot weather, feed to the best advantage. They 

 are so much creatures of habit that the milker 

 should be changed as rarely as possible. A stran- 

 ger is always regarded as an unwelcome visitor by 

 a milch cow. 



7. Cleanliness with the Utensils. — The pans, 

 pails, strainers, bowls, churn, and every implement 

 employed in butter-making, must not only be well 

 washed, but they must be thoroughly scalded with 

 boiling hot water, and be perfectly dried after- 

 wards, either in the sun or before a fire. This 

 must be repeated every time they are used. Mere- 

 ly pouring boiling water upon them when loaded 

 with sour milk or cream, will only serve to scald 

 in the bad flavor, if I may use the expression. 

 Wash them at first, and then scald them thorough- 

 ly, if you would have sweet butter. 



There are certain filthy practices which slatterns 

 fall into, that should be corrected — such as wetting 

 the cows teats with milk, and permitting it to drop 

 into the pail — milking in the morning without 

 washing the hands, &c. 



8. milk-house and Buttery. — In hot weather a 

 good spring-house is necessary for the making of 

 butter. It must be constructed of either brick or 

 stone, and in no instance of wood, as that article 

 never fails, in such a situation, to become mouldy, 

 and impair the flavor of butter. It must be built so 

 that it can be thoroughly ventilated. A window 

 should be placed on the north, east, and westsidea, 

 which must be furnished on the outside with wire 

 gauze screens, and on the inside with tight shut- 

 ters. During the day, the shutters must be closed, 

 and at night must be raised. 



A spring may be dispensed with — and it is even 

 problematical whether it does not, upon the whole, 

 do as much injury by imparting dampness, as it 

 does good by lowering the temperature. A well 

 constructed house without the spring, will answer 

 the purpose. It should be shaded with trees, or 

 arbors of grape-vines. All mouldy and decaying 

 wood-work, boards, boxes, barrels, &c., must be 

 kept out of it — also all foreign substances, as meats, 

 fish and vegetables. T'.e air of my spring-house 

 was ruined for a week or more, merely by placing 

 in it a few mackerel. 



At the approach of autumn, a cool and well ven- 

 tilated buttery, shaded well without and kept clear 



realized. Driving them once or twice a day to a of all foreign substances that can impart a bad 

 watering place will not answer the purpose. | flavor, is preferable to a spring house, aa the latter 



becomes too damp, at that season, to allow the 

 cream to form well. 



9. Straining the Milk. — This should be attend- 

 ed to without delay after milking. The new fash- 

 ioned tin strainer (a tin pail with a wire gauze 

 strainer) is far preferable to the old fashioned cloth 

 strainer. Either tin pans or stone crocks may be 

 used for holding the milk ; I know of no prefer- 

 ence, except the tin work is liable to rust in a damp 

 spring house. Earthen crocks should never be 

 used, as the load in glazing may act chemically 

 with the cream or butter, so as to poison it. 



10. Skimming the Milk. — In hot wci\ther the 

 milk may be allowed to curdle bef.iri; thi'S opera- 

 tion is performed, but if it be delayed 3.tiy longer, 

 a tliin, watery fluid will form between the milk 

 and the cream, after which the good qjalities are 

 inevitably destroyed. It is necessary, in midsum- 

 mer, to skim the milk every mornii.g and night. 

 This point must receive the stncto.st attention. 

 Neglect of it often gives a streaked r mottled ap- 

 pearance to butter, as well as impairs its flavor. 



11. Cream. — As soon as it is collected it should 

 be placed in a stone crock, which should be either 

 hung into a well, or set up to the brim in the spring 

 within the milk house. 



It has been thought by some that the cream im- 

 proves, or matures, by exposure to the air after it is 

 collected, and that placing it in a situation as cool 

 as a well, or spring, is unfavorable for that change. 

 This view may be correct late in autumn, when it 

 becomes sometimes necessary to mature it by ar- 

 tificial heat, but during our hot and dry summers 

 we believe the course recommended, •? to be pre- 

 ferred. 



12. Churning. — This operation r:rust be resorted 

 to as soon as a supply of cream is o' ; .ined, and in 

 hot weather cannot safely be delayed beyond the 

 third day. 



A variety of pati^'nt churns have been palmed 

 upon the public, none of which, we believe, is to 

 be preferred to the old fashioned, upright Dasher, 

 or the Barrel. We at present employ the former, 

 and by the aid of a well adjusted spring pole, con- 

 nected with the top of the dasher-rod, can fetch 

 twelve or fifteen pounds of Butter, in from fifteen 

 to twenty-five minutes, without any violent efTorts. 



The Barrel-churn is not as easily cleansed. 



13. Working of Butter. — This must be repeated 

 until every drop of the buttermilk is expelled, 

 twice or three times will be necessary, nor must it 

 be delayed too long, till a change begins to take 

 place in the remaining buttermilk, as that will im- 

 pair the flavor of the Butter, which no subsequent 

 treatment can restore. 



The operation must be done in a bowl, by the aid 

 of a wooden spatula, or paddle, and in no instance 

 should the hand come in contact with the butter, 

 if it can be avoided, as the warmth of the individ- 

 ual renders the butter oily and bad-flavored. 



Some persons destroy its sweetness and richness 

 by washing out the buttermilk by means of cold 

 water, a practice always to be avoided. 



14. Salting. — The salt should be added at the 

 commencement of the first working. Much of our 

 western butter is injured by the employment of the 

 common New York salt. The finest ground ar- 

 ticle should be used. It can now be obtained in 

 sacks, of our merchants, at a reasonable price. 



15. Preserving Butter. — That made in the spring 



