300 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



calving. The milk first drawn from the udder, will yield only 

 an eighth and sometimes even a much less proportion of cream, 

 than the strippings ; and the milk which is drawn three times 

 a day, is greatly inferior to such as is taken but once, though 

 the latter is less abundant. Excitement, or fretfulness ; 

 change of locality, or to a different herd with new compan- 

 ions ; separation from her calf; periodical heat ; annoyance 

 from flies, or worry from dogs ; exposure to storms, severe 

 cold, or an oppressive sun ; and many similar causes, dimin- 

 ish the quantity of milk and butter ; but some of these may 

 reasonably be expected to increase the proportion of its 

 casein. 



Dr. Playfair found that the quantity of butter in the evening 

 milk, after the cow had been at pasture all day, was 3.7 

 per cent., while the casein was 5.4 ; after lying quietly all 

 night, the milk from the same cow on the following morning, 

 contained 5.6. per cent, of butter, and only 3.9. of casein. 

 In stabling the cow, the butter was invariably in greater pro- 

 portion than when allowed to ramble in the pasture ; and the 

 casein with a single exception, was equally diminished. 



CREAM If milk be immediately set away in shallow 

 vessels, after being taken from the cow, the cream rises to 

 the surface, and carries with it most of the butter contained 

 in the milk, and along with it much of its casein. Hence 

 the great nutritive properties of butter-milk, which retains 

 the casein in very large proportions, much of it being rejected 

 by the butter in its separation from the cream. A tempe- 

 rature below 34, will prevent the cream from rising in any 

 considerable quantity, and preserve the milk unaltered for 

 some weeks. Coagulating the milk from any cause, will equally 

 prevent the separation of the cream. The elevation of tem- 

 perature within certain limits, hastens the separation. Thus, 

 at 50, the cream will mostly have risen in 36 hours ; at 55, 

 in 24; at 68, in 18 or 20, and at 77, in 10 or 12 hours. 

 Heating the milk near the boiling point, and then setting it 

 away and allowing it to remain undisturbed, will soon cause 

 the cream to rise. In the celebrated Orange dairy, near Bal- 

 timore, Md., this system was practised, by which, not only 

 most of the cream was secured for butter, but inconsequence 

 of its rapid separation, the skimmed milk was sent to market 

 apparently fresh ; and the scalding imparted to it an agreeable 

 flavor and apparent richness, which it did not really possess. 

 The celebrated clouted cream of Devonshire, England, and 

 the butter made from it, contained an unusual quantity of 



