86 THE COMPLETE FARMER 



afforded by each cow every day, as well as the peculiar 

 qualities of the cow's milk. And if the same cow's milk 

 were always to be placed on the same part of the shelf, hav- 

 ing the cow's name written beneath, there never could be 

 the smallest difficulty in ascertaining which of the cows it 

 would be for the owner's interest to dispose of, and which he 

 ought to keep and breed from. 



3. If it be intended to make butter of a very fine quality^ 

 it will be advisable, not only to reject entirely the milk of all 

 those coAvs which yield cream of a bad quality, but also, in 

 every case, to keep the milk that is first drawn from the cow 

 at each milking entirely separate from that which is got last ; 

 as it is obvious, if this be not done, the quality of the butter 

 must be greatly debased, without adding much to its quantity. 

 It is also obvious, that the quality of the butter will be im- 

 proved in proportion to the smallness of the quantity of the 

 last drawn milk which is used, as it increases in richness to 

 the very last drop that can be drawn from the udder at that 

 time ; so that those who wish to be singularly nice will do 

 well to keep for their best butter a very small proportion of 

 the last drawn milk. 



Dr. Anderson proceeds to state in substance, that in the 

 Highlands of Scotland the common practice is to let the calf 

 suck till the dairymaid judges that it has had enough; it is 

 then separated, the legs of the mother hav'ng been previously 

 shackled by a very simple contrivance, to oblige her to stand 

 still, and the dairymaid milks off what is left by the calf. In 

 this way, he observes, the Highland butter has been greatly 

 celebrated as the ' richest marrowy butter which can any- 

 where be met wiih.' The milk which is first drawn, and 

 consequently of inferior quality, may be converted into an 

 inferior kind of butter, sold sweet, or made into cheeses, 

 which, by being made of sweet milk, if made with care and 

 skill, may be of fine quality. 



Churning ought to be regularly continued till the butter 

 comes, or is formed. If the motion in summer be too quick, 

 the butter will, in consequence, ferment, and become ill- 

 tasted ; and, in winter, it will go back. Churning, it is said, 

 may be made easier by putting the bottom of the pump churn 

 about one foot deep into a vessel of cold water, and continu- 

 ing it there till the butter is made. The addition of one or 

 two table-spoonfals of distilled vinegar, after churning awhile, 

 will, it is said, produce butter much sooner in many instances 

 than it can be formed without such addition. 



