PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 151 



of her milk, when fed on grass only, and that of an ordinary pasture, pro- 

 duced one pound of the finest yellow butter. " This cow," he says, " is one 

 of the six cows owned and bred by me, whose milk has repeatedly yielded 

 one pound of butter from four beer quarts. Her keep through the autumn 

 of the three years of her milking has been grass feed only — no grain, or 

 roots, or corn stover, having been given her." 



This is the richest milk of any but Alderneys, and above their average. 



Mr. Wm. S. Lincoln, of Worqester, Mass., produced from one cow owned 

 by him, in the spring of 1858, eighteen pounds of butter a week; and the 

 cows that produce fifteen or sixteen pounds a week are not uncommon in 

 that State. The " Oaks cow" yielded her owner nineteen pounds a week 

 at the best, and nearlj'^ 500 pounds in the course of the season. These are 

 extraordinary cases, it is true, but if one cow can do it others can. 



Now, if these are facts — and who disputes them? — what are we to think 

 of the quality of the judgment, sense, or economy of men who will keep 

 cows on their farms for the sole purpose of making butter, at an average 

 of one pound to fourteen quarts, when they could have cows that would 

 give a pound from less than half that quantity? Let this fact be thought 

 of, that it does take fourteen quarts of milk for a pound of butter, which 

 might be made from four quarts. While this is a fact, it is not to be 

 wondered at that Orange county farmers have quit making butter, not- 

 withstanding the high reputation it had attained, and prefer to send their 

 milk to New York from every farm within reach of the river or railroad. 

 If the milk averages two and a half cents when sold, and it would take four- 

 teen quarts to make a pound of butter, it would make the first cost of the 

 butter thirty-five cents a pound, besides all the labor of its manufacture. 



The Homestead says: 



" Mr. Colt, of Norwich, keeps two cows, which, in the best of the season, 

 furnish four quarts of milk daily for use, and make nineteen pounds of 

 butter a week. The writer also thinks that an improved style of milk 

 room would be quite as likely to increase the yield of butter as an improved 

 breed of cows. If only an additional pound a week from each cow could 

 be secured in this way, it would be a matter worth looking into by our 

 farmers, and would greatly increase the yield of butter in the State." 



Think of it, farmers, in every State. An additional pound of butter a 

 week from each cow 1 What would be the aggregate ? Can anybody 

 tell ? Can anybody think of the vast amount, and that it would be all 

 clear profit ? And it is just as easy as it is to do right instead of wrong. 



Undoubtedly butter can be worked so as to keep sweet without packing. 

 So can wheat be cut with a sickle and thrashed with a flail, but they are 

 not great labor-saving machines. 



With successful butter makers the churning occupies about half an 

 hour. By increasing the temperature of the cream it could be done in one- 

 half the time, but the quality of the butter would be much reduced. In 

 winter, to facilitate the raising of the cream, the earthen pans for holding 

 the mik are rinsed in hot water before use, and warm water is applied 

 around them, not to heat the milk, but for a time to maintain its original 

 temperature. 



When the temperature of the dairy is less than 55 deg. Fahrenheit, the 



