284 THE dairyman's manual. 



be expected when, on skimming the cream from the milk, 

 a layer of whey-like or watery liquid is seen to have been 

 formed between the milk and the cream, and the milk is 

 thick and loppered under it. To prevent the trouble, 

 half a teaspoonful of baking soda or saleratus may be 

 stirred in the cream pot when the cream has been poured 

 into it ; and this should always be done, when this has 

 occurred, at least one day before the cream is churned. 

 The washing of the cream previously described will also 

 remove the cause of this trouble. 



White specks in the butter are the result of a too rapid 

 souring of the milk or of keeping the cream in too warm 

 a place and not stirring it every day when fresh cream is 

 added to it. When fresh cream, with milk mixed with 

 it, comes in contact with the sour cream, this milk is 

 immediately curdled and the small flakes of curd become 

 inclosed in masses of cream. When the cream is churned 

 these hardened flakes of curd become mixed with the 

 granules of butter and cannot be separated from them 

 by washing. . Coloring will not disguise this fault, for 

 the curd w411 not take the color as the cream Avill ; 

 the coloring is prepared either with potash or oil, sind 

 either of these easily unite with the butter, while they 

 will not mix with curd. , The only cure for this defect 

 is prevention, by care in managing the cream. But some- 

 times these specks may be caused by small particles of 

 dry, hard cream from the sides of pans when the milk 

 has been kept too long. Or the milk, from some condi- 

 tion of the cow, may contain an excess of albumen, which 

 is quickly coagulated by a very low condition of acidity, 

 and thus these small masses of albumen appear as soft 

 specks in the butter. 



Soft, white butter is caused by uneven temperature in 

 the dairy and by tlie freezing of the cream or the milk, 

 as well as by the food given to the cows. Some kinds 

 of food will spoil the best cows as regards the quality 



