V. — On ih Production of Butief. By Louis H. Ruegg. 



It is related of a celebrated sculptbr, that, when reproached by a 

 friend for having- made no progress in his work, he pointed to the 

 statue, and said, " You mistake : I have been by no means idle 

 since you were here^ I have retouched this part and polished 

 that ; I have softened this feature and brought out that muscle ; 

 I have given expression to that lip and more energy to this 

 limb." "Well, well," rejoined his friend; "these are but 

 tr'iflesr " Very true," replied the sculptor, " but trifles make 

 perfection, and perfection is no trifle ! " 



This, which is a truth for all time — for every man, under every 

 circumstance of life — is to no occupation more applicable than to 

 that of farming generally, and to no particular branch of farming 

 more valuable than to the business of which we have now to 

 write. The production of butter is an operation that is con- 

 ducted in much the same manner, whether it be performed in 

 Holland or in Ireland, in Dorsetshire or in Cambridgeshire, and 

 yet a difference in value of full 20 per cent, is often struck in the 

 London market between the produce of contiguous dairies ! 

 What constitutes this difference ? Not breed — not soil — nor food 

 alone (though all these have their influences) ; but those minute 

 attentions which in themselves are but trifles, but which accu- 

 mulate into perfection. 



Huttev-maldng is a process conducted in pretty much the same 

 manner in every county, and an account of the operation, as it is 

 performed in Dorsetshire (whose butter holds the highest rank 

 in the quotations of the London market), may serve for a general 

 description. The cov\^s are milked twice a day^ — in summer in 

 the fields, in winter generally in the straw barton. The milk is 

 purified by being passed through a sieve, and then set to cool 

 in milk leads. In some counties glass-ware or stone coolers are 

 used ; but a Dorsetshire farmer will use nothing but Leads, which 

 he finds the cleanest, sweetest, and in every respect the best of 

 milk-coolers. In these the milk is allowed to stand for a period 

 varying from 12 to 36 hours, according to the season, the quantity 

 of milk at command, <Scc. Usually, after standing for 24 hours 

 it is skimmed, and the cream is collected in tin vessels until 

 sufficient to form a " churning " has accumulated. In very large 

 dairies and in the summer season butter is made every day ; and 

 it may be laid down as a general rule that the quicker cream is 

 converted into butter, the sweeter and better the butter. It 

 should not be allowed to remain longer than three days under any 

 circumstances. The churn having been prepared by rinsing, v/ith 

 hot water in winter and with cold water in summer, the cream is 

 agitated until a complete separation of the fatty m.atter from the 



