43 



at tlie sides put on with screws. At the narrow end, a three-inch strip is 

 screwed on across the sidc.^, and forms a cap, under which a movahle white- 

 oak lever is held down at its small end. This lever is the same h!n;;t!i of the 

 board on which it is worked, exclusive of the handle, which is turned at the 

 lar"c end. The face of the lever is about two inches wide at the small, and 

 three at the wide end. 



After the worker is scalded and cooled in cold water and fastened firmly in 

 a common sink, with the narrow end about four inches the lowest, the butter 

 is taken from the churn with a ladle and placed under the lever, at the rate 

 of ten pounds at a time. It is then repeatedly pi-essed and turned till the 

 moisture, (it can hardly be called buttermilk,) is thoroughly removed. 



Salt is then worked in with the lever, at the rate of about three-fourths of 

 an ounce to the pound of butter, which is as much salt as my customeis will 

 allow. More would be required if it were added while the milk remained in 

 the butter, as much of it would run off with the buttermilk, while working. 



If the salt could be worked into every particle of the butter at this time, it 

 might be now ready to stamp for market and deliver to the customers. But 

 as salted butter is yellower than fresh, unless the salt is actually distributed 

 perfectly even through the whole mass, it will, after standing a few hours, show, 

 on being cut, a streaked, spotted or marbled appearance, — coarse or fine, — 

 according as it was worked much or little after being salted. 



In warm weather I prefer to hang the butter in the well to cool a few hours 

 before putting it through the mould ; again working it evenly at this time, on 

 the worker. 



This season, until July 1, my butter was sold at fifty-five cents per pound ; 

 in July at fifty cents ; and the last three weeks at sixty cents, delivered to the 

 customers. 



During the four months' trial I have had eight cows. One was sold for beef 

 June 22; one heifer, three years old, dried off July 15; one cow came in 

 August 1. Have now six in milk. Two are in their prime, one of them, the 

 one that came in August 1 ; the other four are all young. Two calved in 

 August of last year ; the other two calved at two years old or under, last spring. 

 The two old cows gave at this time about twenty-two quarts per day ; the 

 other four only about eighteen ; or forty quarts per day in all. One quart 

 and a pint per day are sold ; also all the night's milk one day in each week is 

 skimmed at twelve hours old. Have made, in the time between May 15 and 

 September 16, inclusive, 512 pounds, besides what has been used in the 

 family. 



The feed is now mostl}' corn fodder, cut up green and fed in the stall. 

 Some dry hay is given, also three pints of corn meal per day. The cows were 

 turned to pasture about June 1, and had two feedings of hay each day. The 

 pasture has yielded very little feed since August 10, when the corn was ready 

 for them. The cows have run out from six to eight hours per day. The 

 remainder of the time they have been in the stalls, where a large amount of 

 manure has been secured for future crops. 



The corn fodder has been about half southern white, the other half a large 

 sweet. I prefer the sweet for the following reasons : it is better liked by the 

 cows; it will bear thinner planting, and is consequently more leafy and does 

 not lodge as much in rainy or windy weather. Land is well manured and 

 furrowed, then the corn dropped by hand thin enough to bear some ears. It 

 is covered with the rear teeth of F. F. Holbrook's horse-hoe turned outward. 

 All the hoeing may be done with this implement, except perhaps the first 

 planting, as that grows slower, and the weeds might get a start with the corn. 



Respectfully, 



A. W. CHEEVER. 



