26S THE dairymaid's MANUAL. 



atoms of water ; one atom or volume of lactic (or milk) 

 acid is composed of six atoms of carbon and six atoms of 

 water. Using the chemical symbols for these ultimate 

 components we have : 



MUk sugar _ 24C + 24 H2O 

 Lactic acid =6C + 6H20 



If, then, one volume of the former can be separated 

 into four parts, or its components can be transposed, we 

 have four volumes of the latter ; and instead of one vol- 

 ume of sugar, or sweet substance, we have four of an 

 acid. Here is no infusion of a new element, nothing 

 is added, nothing is taken away; a transposition, ^'a 

 shuffle and a new deal," if it may be so expressed, is 

 made, and a sweet liquid is changed into an acid one. 

 The change is very simple to one who is accustomed to 

 consider chemical substitutions, yet its important effects 

 are typical of those changes which are continually occur- 

 ring in milk and all its products. 



The viscosity of cream may be reduced by diluting it 

 with water. The water increases the bulk of the viscous 

 acid milk, and so releases the butter globules from its ad- 

 hesive embrace and enables- the butter to ^' come." This 

 watering process may be used for tlie recovery of cream 

 which is too acid for churning or which has been churned 

 without bringing butter. Any considerable proportion 

 of water may be added to the cream and the mixture left 

 for the cream to rise, which it does rapidly. The water 

 is then drawn of^ from under the cream and more water 

 is added and afterwards removed. The cream may then 

 be churned with ease. 



Cream so washed makes butter of the very best keep- 

 ing quality. The spoiling of butter is due to those ele- 

 ments of the cream which causes this viscosity. Some 

 cream may contain more than one of these ; viz., in ad- 

 dition to the acid there may exist the peculiar animal 

 impurities previously mentioned, whose removal will 



