BUTTER. 



old Winchester bushel contained only 

 2150 42 cubic inches. 



BUSTARD. Otis tarda. A large 

 gallinaceous fowl indigenous to Eu- 

 rope and Asia, often weighing twen- 

 ty-five to twenty-seven pounds, and 

 of delicious flavour. It has not yet 

 been domesticated. 



BUTTER. The preparation of 

 butter is an important part of rural 

 economy. Butter is the fat or oleagi- 

 nous part of the milk of various ani- 

 mals, principally of the domestic cow. 

 The milk of the cow is composed of 

 three distinct ingredients : the curd, 

 the whey, and the butter ; the two 

 first form the largest portion, and the 

 last the most valuable. The compar- 

 ative value of the milk of different 

 cows, or of the same cows fed on 

 different pastures, is estimated chief- 

 ly by the quantity of butter contained 

 in it ; and in this respect some breeds 

 of cows are far superior to others. 

 The union of the component parts of 

 milk is chiefly mechanical, as they 

 separate by subsidence according to 

 their specific gravities, the cream be- 

 ing the lightest, and the curd the 

 heaviest ; the curd, however, re- 

 quires a slight chemical change for 

 its separation from the whey, which, 

 at the same time, produces a peculiar 

 acid, called the lactic acid. From the 

 moment that milk is drawn from the 

 cow it begins to be affected by the 

 air and changes of temperature, and 

 circumstances almost imperceptible 

 to our senses will materially affect 

 its quality ; hence the importance of 

 extreme care and attention in every 

 step of the process of the dairy, es- 

 pecially in making butter. 



The cows should be milked in the 

 cool of the morning and evening ; 



120 



they should not be much driven im- 

 mediately before milking, and it is 

 best to bring them to the place of 

 milking some time before the opera- 

 tion begins. In some situations it is 

 better to milk them in the pastures, 

 and carry the milk home ; in others, 

 to drive the cows gently to the cow- 

 stall. In mountainous countries the 

 first mode is generally adopted, be- 

 cause the cows are apt to leap down 

 steep places, and shake the milk in 

 their udder more than is done by car- 

 rying it in the pail. 



As the slightest acidity or putres- 

 cence immediately causes an internal 

 chemical action in milk, it is of the 

 greatest importance that the place 

 where the cows are milked, and the 

 persons employed, should be of the 

 greatest purity and cleanliness. The 

 milking house should be paved with 

 stone or brick, and no litter or dung 

 be permitted to remain in it. It 

 should be washed out twice a day, 

 immediately before each milking, 

 which, besides ensuring cleanlmess, 

 produces a refreshing coolness high- 

 ly useful to the milk. The teats of 

 the cows should be washed clean 

 with water and a sponge. The ves- 

 sels into which the milk is drawn 

 from the cow should be made of very 

 clean wood ; they should be scalded 

 immediately after having been used, 

 and then exposed to the air, so as to 

 be perfectly dry by the next time of 

 using them. Tin vessels are prefer- 

 able to wood, because they are not 

 so easily tainted, and are more easily 

 kept clean. Where these are used 

 they should always be kept bright, by 

 which means the least speck of dirt 

 is immediately discovered. 



The milk, as soon as it is brought 



