1867. 



NEW ENGLAND FARRIER. 



459 



brindle cow, the favorite of the herd — that I 

 have taken so much pride in tending, the 

 cheese tub, the churn, and all things pertain- 

 ing to the farm, have been sold under the 

 hammer of the auctioneer. Being a flirmer's 

 daughter, and for twenty years having the 

 cares and responsibilities of a farmer's wife, 

 this change seems like stepping aside from the 

 regular course of our lives. But I hope it is 

 for the best. The sample of butter I send you 

 is from the last churning and production of 

 Madam Brindle, and the final winding up of 

 my dairying career. 



My process for winter butter-making, is as 

 follows : As soon as the milk is brought into 

 the house, it is immediately strained into clean 

 pans and set away for twelve hours, after 

 which it is set over a kettle of boiling water, 

 and warmed to about blood heat, when it is 

 again set away, and allowed to stand from 

 twenty-four to thirty-six hours before skim- 

 ming. This is done to hasten the process of 

 churning, and to render the butter solid and 

 compact, like that made in the earlier parts of 

 the season. After the cream is taken from the 

 milk it is kept secure from frost, as I think 

 freezing is injurious. As daily additions are 

 made to the cream pail, care is taken to keep 

 the whole well stirred. My time in keeping 

 cream is from seven to nine days, and it should 

 not be kept much longer. I allow cream to 

 stand twenty-four hours after the last gather- 

 ing is stirred in before churning. In prepar- 

 ing the cream for the churn, I warm it to the 

 temperature of fifty-six degrees — preferring 

 this temperature to a higher or a lower one — 

 the churn is made ready by putting in hot 

 water succeeded by cold. I then press the 

 juice from the gratings of four common sized 

 carrots, also warmed to fifty-six degrees. This 

 is a quantity sufBcient for a churning of eight 

 or ten pounds. Mix the carrot and the cream 

 together, and put it into the churn. The time 

 usually spent in churning during the winter is 

 from ten to thirty minutes. The carrot I use 

 is the Early Horn. I think this kind excels 

 any I have ever used for butter ; being deep 

 colored, juicy and sweet. When the butter is 

 churned, it is taken out and worked thoroughly 

 before salting; then weighed, and one and 

 one-fourth ounces of salt added to the pound. 

 This quantity is sufficient, without any farther 

 salting. It is then set away until the next 

 morning, when it is reworked, and about one 

 tablespoonful of nice white sugar added to every 

 five pounds of butter ; then formed into small 

 lumps for the table, and it is done. By this 

 process the sample I send you was made, which 

 I forward by express. Ruby. 



Paxton, Mass., March 9, 1867. 



Remarks. — The sample of the last churning 

 of the cream from the milk of Madame Brin- 

 dle was duly received, but as the above date 

 indicates, it was not until after the time for I 



winter butter-making had passed. As our 

 pigeon-holes were then well filled with the fa- 

 vors of our practical correspondents, on sub- 

 jects relating to the work of the opening season, 

 we concluded to delay the publication of this 

 communication, till Jack Frost should open 

 the hearts of our readers to receive Mrs. 

 Ruby's directions for making lumps of butter 

 in the winter season, almost as yellow and 

 solid as that put down in June. 



We appreciate the feelings of this farmer's 

 daughter and farmer's wife as the hammer of 

 that auctioneer fell on old Brindle, the utensils, 

 and the home with which she had been so long 

 familiar, and as she herself stepped aside from 

 the regular course of her life. Most sincerely 

 do we join in the hope that "it is all for the 

 best." May the attractions of the new home 

 prove an ample compensation for the loss of 

 that enjoyment which resulted from "the cares 

 and responsibilities" of the old ! 



We shall be glad to be informed of our cor- 

 respondent's success in carrying out the plans, 

 to which she alluded in a private note, for 

 gardening and fruit raising on the grounds of 

 her new residence. 



Apple Crop. — We make a few extracts 

 from our exchanges in respect to this impor- 

 tant crop. Chautauqua county, N. Y., — 

 "Apple crop a fair one." Buchanan county, 

 Mich., — "Fruit appears to be plenty, espec- 

 ially apples and pears." Hudson, Mich., — 

 "The apple crop will hardly be an average 

 one." Wilmington, Vt., — "Apple crop will 

 be light." Hampton Falls, N. H.,— "Apples 

 scarce." Readington, N. J., — "Fruit crop 

 one half as large as usual." Waynesville, 

 N. C, — "Apple crop very fine — rotting on 

 the ground for want of consumers." Keene, 

 N. H., — "Though not an apple year, there 

 will be a moderate abundance." Cedar Co., 

 Iowa, — "Our crop of apples and plums is quite 

 light, although the blossom was the largest 

 ever known in this region." Polk county, 

 Iowa, — "Orchards that are large enough, are 

 loaded with fruit." Champaign county. III., 

 — "The apple crop will be unusually light." 

 Cecil county, Md., — "Apples will be a light 

 crop." 



— ^By burning a small quantity of sulphur in and 

 near places infested by ants, it is said they may 

 be driven off. 



