THE COW AND THE DAIRY. 25 



is done in order to obtain the buttermilk, the demand for which is always, great 

 in large cities. When the milk and cream are to be churned together, the milk 

 is kept in the coolers for from twelve to twenty-four hours, and then poured into 

 a milk-tub. It remains here until required for churning ; and will, during this 

 time, have coagulated. If a certain quantity of milk is put into the milk-tub, and 

 has coagulated before any more has creamed, the coagulated milk must in no 

 way be disturbed, or, if the two quantities are mixed together, too much ferment- 

 ation may be the consequence. The milk is not churned till it has become acid; 

 and when once coagulation has taken place, it should be churned as early as con- 

 venient. If the milk has not fermented before churning, the buttermilk will keep 

 for a much longer time, will have an agreeable taste, and will bear to be mixed 

 with a little water. When the milk has fermented before being churned, the 

 buttermilk will never be so good, nor will it keep for such a length of time as 

 the former. 



The operation of churning, whether it be of cream alone, or cream and milk, is 

 performed in the same manner. The milk requires more time than cream to 

 complete the prpcess, from two to three hours being considered necessary, 

 while cream alone may be effectually churned in an hour and a half. It is ne- 

 cessary that the operation should be slow in warm weather ; for if done too has- 

 tily, the butter will be soft and white. If the cream is at too high a tempera- 

 ture, the churn should be cooled with cold spring water, to reduce it to the proper 

 degree of heat. In winter, again, the operation of churning should be done as 

 quickly as possible, the action being regular ; and the churn should be warmed, 

 to raise the temperature of the milk or cream. The air which is generated in 

 the churn should be allowed to escape, or it will impede the process by the froth 

 which it creates. 



After the churning is performed, the butter should be washed in cold spring 

 water, with a little salt in it, two or three times, to extract all the milk which 

 may be lodging about the mass. It is said by some that the butter retains its 

 sweetness much longer when no water is used ; and others affirm that the wash- 

 ing improves the flavor. The extraction of the milk from butter will reduce 

 its weight ; but it appears from the experiments of iVIr. Pooler upon the tempera- 

 ture of the cream, that the less milk which is in the butter its quality is propor- 

 tionably improved. Kneading and beating the butter too much render it tough 

 and gluey. After the milk has been carefully extracted, if the butter is to be 

 salted, it should be mixed with the finest salt, in the proportion of ten ounces to 

 fourteen pounds, wore or less, according to the time the butter is to be preserved. 

 The butter and salt should be well mixed together with the hand ; and in Ire- 

 land it is customary to add a little saltpetre. A compound of one part of sugar, 

 one part nitre and two parts of the best Spanish salt, finely powdered together, 

 has been highly recommended for preserving butter. It is used in the proportion 

 of one ounce to the pound ; and it is said to give a flavor to the butter which no 

 other kind ever acquires. 



For making butter casks or kegs the wood of trees containing no acid is recom- 

 mended. When wood contains acid it acts powerfully upon the salt in the but- 

 ter, converting it into brine. Any wood will answer if boiled for a few hours, for 

 by this process the pyrolignous acid will be entirely taken out. 



In salting, the butter should never be put into the firkins in layers ; but the 

 surface should be left every day rough and broken, so as to unite better with that 

 of the succeeding churning. The quality may likewise be better preserved by 

 covering it over with a clean linen cloth dipped m pickle, and placing it in a cool 

 situation. 



Buttermilk. 



This is the liquid which remains in the churn after removing the butter. If 

 skimmed milk has been employed for churning, the buttermillc is thin, poor, and 

 easily sours; but if from the churning of the entire milk, the buttermilk is more 

 thick and rich, and is considered by many a delicious beverage. Good buttermilk 

 is at all events exceedingly wholesome and nutritious. In Ireland it is largely 

 used at meals with potatoes ; in Scotland it is more frequently employed as a 

 relish with oat-meal porridge ; and for this purpose large quantities are brought 

 to Edinburgh, Glasgow and other towns, from the adjoining rural districts. In 



