BUTTER. 229 



sary to the successful prosecution of the business. 

 To be able to do this effectually, we transmitted a 

 series of queries connected with the making of but- 

 ter from the milk to several who were engaged in 

 the business, particularly to J. B. Gilbert, Esq., of 

 Otsego county, whose success is undoubted, and the 

 productions of whose dairy are considered first-rate 

 in any market. These queries were kindly respond- 

 ed to, and the substance of Mr. Gilbert's paper we 

 have imbodied in connexion with the questions sub- 

 mitted, with occasional notes. 



Ques. 1st. In making butter from the milk, what 

 churn do you use, and do you churn by hand or by 

 machinery 1 



We use a dash churn of the size of a barrel, work- 

 ed by machinery, the propelling power of which is 

 a dog. We find this does the business promptly and 

 eff'ectually, it being desirable that the motion should 

 be equal and sustained. Water, where convenient, 

 might be used with success for turning the machin- 

 ery. 



Ques. 2d. Do you churn the milk new from the 

 cows, or is it necessary it should be soured before 

 the operation 1 



To produce the best butter and the greatest quan- 

 tity, it is indispensably necessary that the milk 

 should be soured. This is generally accomphshed 

 in warm weather without difficulty ; but in cool 

 weather, in the spring and fall, milk will stand so 

 long before the cream rises or the milk sours, that 

 the surface will become mouldy, the cream acquire 

 a bitter and unpleasant taste, and the fine, rich fla- 

 vour of the butter will of course be destroyed. To 

 obviate this difficulty, we are in the habit, at such 

 times, of setting our milk in pans which contain a 

 small quantity of sour milk, a practice which greatly 

 hastens the acidifying process. In extreme warm 

 weather, milk will sometimes sour so soon as to 

 prevent the proper separation of the cream ; in this 



