Feb.  1,  1897.]  Supplement  to  the  “ Tropical  AgriculturMr 
MILK  AND  MILK  .PRODUCTS. 
By  Mr.  James  Mollison, 
Supermtendent  of  Farms,  Bombay. 
Cream,  after  it  has  been  separated  from  the 
milk,  is  ripened  in  an  earthenware  jar,  covered 
with  muslin  and  not  with  an  air-tight  lid.  During 
ripening  the  cream  should  be  fretiuently  stirred 
at  least  once  every  two  hours.  The  time  required 
to  ripen  cream  depends  upon  the  temperature. 
Cream  w’ill  be  sufficiently  ripe  in  12  liours  if  the 
temperature  of  the  dairy  is  from  65°  to  75°  P., 
in  less  time  if  the  temirerature  is  higher.  h 
greater  period  must  elapse  if  the  temperature  is 
lower.  During  the  early  monsoon  rains  cream 
will  ripen  more  quickly  than  in  the  hot  w'eather. 
Cream  is  ripened  with  the  object  of  making  it 
yield  a greater  proportion  of  butter  of  fine  fia- 
vour  than  that  obtained  from  fresh  cream.  The 
flavour  is  believed  to  be  developed  by  the  growth 
of  a microbe  in  the  cream.  The  fermentation 
which  proceeds  during  the  ripening  process  causes 
the  cream  to  thicken.  Cream  is  not  pure  butter 
fat,  for  milk  in  variable  proportion  is  always  pre- 
sent, and  this  milk  sours  as  the  cream  ripens  and 
the  lactic  acid  precipitate.^  the  casein.  The  curd 
thus  formed  may  during  churning  become  in- 
coi'Dorated  more  or  less  wdth  the  butter.  Butter 
thus  made  will  not  keep  long.  If  the  sourness 
of  ripe  cream  is  excessive  the  curd  forms  in  lumps; 
if  the  ripe  cream  is  only  slightly  acid  the  precipi- 
tated casein  breaks  up  into  particles  of  minute  size 
during  churning,  and  these  particles  always  form 
a constituent  portion  of  the  butter  which 
ordinarily  by  thorough  washing  can  be  separated 
fron-i  the  butter.  The  butter  which  will  keep 
longest  is  made  from  fresh  cream,  while  the 
butter  with  the  finest  flavour  is  made  from  ripened 
cream.  The  combination  of  keeping  quality  and 
flavour  is  a point  of  value.  It  has  been  authori- 
tatively stated  that  this  has  been  accom- 
plished now  by  inoculating  fresh  cieam 
with  a pure  culture  of  the  cream-ripening 
microbe.  Cream  should  only  half  fill  the 
churn,  so  that  agitation  may  be  due  to  the  cream 
falling  upon  itself  at  each  revolution  of  the 
churn;  if  it  completely  filled  the  churn  there 
would  be  no  agitation  at  all.  If  the  cream  is  so 
thick  that  it  sticks  to  the  churn,  pure  cold  water 
should  be  added.  The  lid  of  the  churn  is  now 
fixed  down  and  the  churn  turned  at  the  rate 
already  indicated.  The  cream  will  froth  up  and 
swell  after  the  first  few  revolutions.  The  air 
which  was  incorporated  with  it  is  driven  out,  and 
becau^e  it  is  impn  e air  and  in  consequence  may 
taint  the  butter,  it  ■■  ght  to  escape  through  a valve 
placed  on  the  lid  of  the  churn  for  that  purpose. 
A small  pane  of  glass  is  inserted  in  the  lid  of  the 
churn.  By  careful  observation  the  dairy-man 
can  see  from  time  to  time  what  is  going  on  inside, 
and  can  determine  when  the  butter  begins  to  form. 
So  soon  as  this  takes  place  ci  Id  water  (about 
I/lOthofthe  cream  qumitity)  .should  be  added. 
The  object  is  to  lower  the  temperature  when 
the  butter  is  forming  in  order  to  get  it  firm,  also 
to  dilute  the  butter-milk  so  that  it  may  the  easier 
be  separated  from  the  butter  granules.  The 
necessity  of  lowering  the  temperature  arises  be- 
cause the  agitation  which  the  process  of  churning 
requires  has  raised  considerably  the  initial  temper- 
ature. The  churning  is  again  continued  until 
specks  of  butter  on  the  glass  are  easily  discern- 
ible and  are  seen  distinctly  separate  from  the 
butter  milk.  Experience  and  judgment  are  neces- 
sary to  decide  the  right  moment  when  to  stop 
churning.  If  stopped  too  soon  bntter  is  lost  in  the 
butter-milk  because  the  granules  are  so  small 
that  they  pass  with  the  butter-milk  through  the 
meshes  of  the  finest  strainer.  If  carried  on  too 
long  the  butter  granules  aggregate  and  the  butter 
becomes  greasy  ; moreover  it  is  difficult  to  sepa- 
rate the  butter-milk  completely  by  subsequent 
washing  and  working  without  spoiling  the  grain 
or  texture  of  the  butter.  When  cliurning  is  suffi- 
ciently advanced  the  butter-milk  is  drawn  off 
through  the  tap  hole  at  the  bottom  of  the  churn, 
and  is  strained  through  a sieve ; and  any  butter 
caught  is  returned  to  the  cluirn.  The  churn  is 
half  filled  with  pure  cold  water  and  given  a few 
more  revolutions  and  then  kept  at  rest  for  a short 
period.  If  curd  is  present  in  quantity,  it  will 
settle  to  the  bottom  of  the  churn  whil.st  the  butter 
floats  on  the  water.  As  the  water  is  drawn  off 
the  curd  may  also  be  removed.  If  curd  is  i)re- 
sent  the  butter  caught  on  the  sieve  should  not 
be  returned  to  the  churn,  because  it  necessarilj’ 
must  be  mixed  with  pieces  of  curd.  If  there  is 
any  considerable  quantity  it  can  be  made  into  yhi. 
The  churn  is  again  half  filled  with  water  and 
given  a few  more  revolutions.  This  water  is 
likewise  strained  through  a sieve  as  it  is  drawm 
off,  and  if  there  is  no  curd  present,  the  contents 
of  the  sieve  are  again  returned  to  the  churn.  The 
butter  is  now  comparatively  free  of  butter-milk, 
but  in  order  that  it  may  be  washed,  as  far  as  pos- 
sible, whilst  still  in  a granular  condition,  brine  is 
now  added,  the  solution  consisting  of  ^th  lb. 
sals  to  a gallon  of  water.  The  churn  is  again  half 
filled  and  slowly  revolved  a few  (say  3 or  4) 
times.  The  brine  is  drawn  off  and  strained  as  be- 
fore through  a sieve. 
(To  be  continued.) 
♦ 
THE  ROOTS  OF  PLANTS. 
A late  report  of  the  Kansas  Agricultural  Depart- 
ment distinguish  s two  classes  of  roots  in  plants, 
explaining  tlie  text  by  means  of  an  illustra- 
tion whicli  we  regret  we  are  unable  to  reproduce 
The  two  kinds  of  roots  are  (1)  the  feeding  roots 
wliich  grow  along  in  the  true  or  cultivated  so  il 
where  the  plant  food  is  abundant,  and  (2)  roots 
which  go  down  deep  into  the  soil  in  searcli  of 
water. 
“ We  say  search  of  water  as  though  it  were  a 
matter  of  instinct,  but  the  influence  which  en- 
courages these  roots  to  take  a downward  direc- 
tion is  the  flow  of  moisture  constantly  coining  up 
by  capillary  attraction  from  below  to  the  surface. 
“The  young  roots  are  attracted  by  tlie  mois- 
ture, and  grow  and  go  down  deeper  and  ileeper. 
There  is  a case  recorded  of  a willow  wh:  h grew 
to  be  a large  tree  in  apparently  a dry  .soil,  but 
it  was  found  that  there  was  a small  l'e3,k  in  an 
underground  tank,  several  feet  away  and  deeply 
below  the  soil,  guided  by  the  moisture  which  came 
up  through  the  soil,  the  roots  found  it  out  and 
formed  a large  mass  of  fibrous  roots  in  the  Lank 
itself. 
“ The  dejitli  to  which  some  of  these  moisture- 
seeking  roots  will  go  down  is  remarkable.  One 
day  on  Earl  Ducie’s  example  farm  at  Whitelield 
