224 AMERICAN HUSBANDRY. 



churning, the rise of temperature being from four to 

 six degrees, according to the time employed and 

 the state of the cream ; consequently, if the tem- 

 perature is too high at the commencement of the 

 operation, at the close it will be so much increased 

 as to have a pernicious eflect on the quality of the 

 butter. 



A few years since, by request of the Highland 

 Agricultural Society of Scotland, a series of experi- 

 ments was instituted by Mr. Ballantine, the owner 

 of an extensive dairy, as to the proper temperature 

 of cream for making butter, and the effects of differ- 

 ent temperatures on the quantity and quality of the 

 butter produced. Mr. JBallantine's report, which 

 obtained the premium from the society, may be 

 found in the " Library of Agricultural and Horticul- 

 tural Knowledge," and is probably the best paper 

 on the subject of making butter which has yet ap- 

 peared. From Mr. B.'s experiments, it appears that 

 the thermometrical range at which butter can be 

 obtained extends from 45 to 75 degrees of Fahren- 

 heit. A great number of experiments gave 60 de- 

 grees as the temperature at which the greatest 

 quantity of butter could be produced from a given 

 quantity of cream ; and 55 degrees in the churn just 

 before the butter comes as that which affords the 

 best quality, giving a temperature of 51 to the cream 

 at its introduction into the churn. Repeated churn- 

 ings at this degree of heat " gave butter of the finest 

 quality and colour, the milk being completely separ- 

 ated from the butter, which, when washed and made 

 up into rolls, kept for a fortnight without acquiring 

 either smell or taste." Mr. Ballantine says, " But- 

 ter intended to be sent to the market sweet, should 

 be carefully gathered from the milk with the hand, 

 and the milk squeezed out of it. It should then be 

 put into cold spring-water, and, after being well 

 washed, it should be made up into rolls with wood- 

 en flappers, and put into cold water to become firm ; 



