576 
DAIRY FARMING. 
practice there is not the slightest difficulty in getting the 
butter out of this style of churn, nor is there the slightest 
inconvenience experienced in cleaning it. 
Management of the Cream and Butter . — Much bad butter 
is made by permitting the cream to stand too long before 
being skimmed, putrefaction having commenced, the taint of 
which no after manipulation can wholly remove. This is 
done too frequently from the mistaken notion that if skimmed 
too soon the whole of the cream will not have time to rise, 
and butter of indifferent quality is habitually made, the 
parties doing so arguing that what is lost in quality is gained 
in quantity — a species of self-deception which results in 
much loss. To assist the churning process, there is no 
objection to the cream being soured ; and the butter is in no 
w^ay injured thereby, perfectly sweet cream being seldom used 
during summer unless for a very particular purpose. During 
the summer months there is some difficulty in having the 
temperature sufficiently low, and in consequence cold water 
must be brought into requisition very abundantly to reduce 
the cream to the proper standard. Filling the churn with 
cold spring-water over night, and plunging the cream crocks 
into large tubs of the same, saves all trouble, the butter 
having the firmness and consistency of that made in the 
autumn. So effectual is this mode of management that even 
where ice can be cheaply and conveniently obtained, it need 
seldom be used. In situations where cold spring w^ater has 
to be brought a considerable distance, and is consequently 
very valuable, a few pounds of ice is exceedingly useful on 
churning days, saving a great deal of trouble, besides enabling 
the dairy maid to produce a first class article. The butter 
on being removed from the churn should be washed in the 
iced water until the whole of the butter-milk is expressed, 
which is easily known by the w'ater running off at last clear 
and pure. 
If the milk has been properly strained when brought in 
from the cow (an operation which ought on no account to 
be omitted) there will be no hairs or other impurities in 
the butter ; and it is now ready for being salted. One im- 
perial pint of salt to about twelve pounds of butter is quite 
enough to preserve it for any length of time that may 
be required ; if for immediate use, half the quantity will be 
sufficient. 
It is not at all impossible but that butter which, when 
taken from the churn was of superior quality, may, from 
imperfect salting and packing, be inferior by the time it is 
offered for sale. Much care should, therefore, be taken in 
