256 THE 



way approaching to them, it may be said to him or her, 

 that good butter cannot be made iu that way, and the 

 labor spent over it is only half or quarter paid for. 



The first necessity in setting the milk is perfect purity 

 of place and surroundings. Then there should be the 

 following adjuncts : 



A moderate circulation of fresh and moist air. 



Shelves raised at least three feet from the ground. 



A temperature not over sixty degrees in summer, and 

 not below forty-five degrees in winter. 



Perfectly clean utensils, and very little light. 



It matters little how or where these conditions are se- 

 cured ; that they are secured is sufificient. The follow- 

 ing reasons may be given ; viz., milk readily absorbs 

 odors and the odors are concentrated in the cream; with 

 stagnant air the natural odor of the fresh milk, which is 

 disagreeable to some persons, cannot be removed ; in the 

 dry air the cream becomes of a leathery toughness and 

 often produces specks in the butter, and always makes 

 an inferior quality. When milk is kept on the ground 

 in a cellar or milk-house, it is brought into contact with 

 the coldest air, in which all the bad odors of the place are 

 condensed. At a higher temperature than sixty degrees 

 the milk will sour and often thicken before the cream 

 has risen, and to have the best butter, the cream should 

 be taken froiji sweet milk. At a lower temperature than 

 forty-five degrees the color of the cream is much light- 

 ened, and the butter will be too light in color ; besides, 

 there is danger of freezing, and frozen cream will not 

 make good butter. If the milk pans are not quite sweet 

 and clean, the milk will sour too soon. With too much 

 light the butter will not have the rich, deep color that is 

 desired. 



When the milk is brought in from the cow stable or 

 the shed it is strained at once into the pans or pails, and 

 these are put away iu the place provided for them. If it 



