218 MM and Its Products 



churning are usually numerous at this period of 

 the year. These complaints readily yield to the 

 proper treatment, which is indicated under the con- 

 ditions affecting churning, and so far as is known 

 there never occurs a condition under which it is 

 absolutely impossible to churn the butter from any 

 given sample of cream. The course to be followed in 

 cases of this nature is, first, to add to the food of 

 the cows something of a succulent nature, that will 

 cause the secretion of milk to be greater in amount 

 and not so viscous. Second, to further lessen the 

 viscosity by bringing about a vigorous lactic acid 

 fermentation in the milk, and in extreme instances, 

 perhaps, diluting the cream with warm water or 

 weak brine. Care must be taken that this dilution 

 does not go too far, or difficulty in churning from 

 the thinness of the cream will result. The produc- 

 tion of lactic acid in good amounts and within a 

 reasonable time seems to be an important means of 

 overcoming these cases of difficult churning. It is 

 not unlikely that some of the lower fermentations, 

 which take place at temperatures below which the 

 lactic acid germs are active, may in themselves have 

 a retarding effect upon the churning. These cases 

 of difficult churning are frequently accompanied by 

 the production of an acrid or bitter putrefactive 

 fermentation product in the cream. 



If the attempt is made to churn at an extremely 

 low temperature,, the agitation of the cream serves 

 to incorporate with it bubbles of air, and the 

 cream froths or swells. When this takes place, 



