JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
62 
provide the material without cost and do the work for nothing. Such soil is 
only suitable for plants in their early stages, afterwards they need more sub¬ 
stantial fare, and if this is not provided they collapse somewhat suddenly, to 
the great disappointment of the cultivator. 
Names of Fruits.—We have many times notified that only six varieties of 
fruits can be named at once; still large packages reach us, the contents of which 
cannot be examined. Some fruits are not named because the sender’s name 
does not accompany them, and we cannot always determine to whom the re¬ 
spective parcels belong, even by the aid of letters received by post. Pears, we 
have previously intimated, ought to be ripe or approaching ripeness when sent, 
or a number of them cannot be identified. All packages must be carriage paid ; 
unpaid parcels are sent every week that are not taken in. The fee for naming 
fruit to non-subscribers is 5s. It is important that these conditions be attended 
to for preventing disappointment. ( J. J. .S'.).—A beautiful specimen of Dumeiow’s 
Seedling. ( Ramalho ).—We are very sorry we cannot name either of the Apples 
you have sent. Neither of them is of any merit. 
Names of Plants (R. L., Cheshire). —1, Not recognisable, no spores on 
frond ; 2, Begonia argyrostigma; 3, quite crushed ; 4, Sparmannia africana. 
( G. II. II.). —1, Bambusa Fortunei; 2 and 3, varieties of Begonia purpurascens; 
4, Begonia imperialis; 6, Sanseviera zeylauica ; 6, insufficient for identification. 
COVENT GARDEN MARKET.—JANUARY 18. 
OUR market remains the same, with an improved demand for best Apples. 
FRUIT. 
9. 
d. 
9. d. 
8. 
d. 
9. 
d 
Apples. 
J sieve 
i 
0to4 6 
Lemons. 
IP case 12 
0tol6 
ft 
0 
ft 
0 0 
ft 
0 
0 
Sir tb. 
ft 
0 
0 ft 
Nectarines. 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
ft 
0 
0 ft 
Oranges . 
^ 100 
4 
0 
6 
ft 
Currants, Rlack . 
i sieve 
ft 
0 
0 0 
Peaches . 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
„ Red.... 
i sieve 
0 
0 
0 0 
Pears,kitchen .. 
dozen 
i 
0 
1 
6 
Fig's. 
dozen 
ft 
0 
0 0 
dessert. 
dozen 
i 
0 
4 
0 
Filberts. 
^Ib. 
0 
0 
0 0 
Pine Apples .... 
fb 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Cobs. 
too tb. 
15 
0 
0 0 
Strawberries .... 
per tb. 
ft 
0 
ft 
0 
Gooseberries .... 
i sieve 
0 
ft 
ft ft 
Walnuts . 
bushel 
i 
0 
8 
0 
Grapes . 
V tb 
1 
0 
5 6 
VEGETABLES. 
9 
d. 
s. d. 
9. 
d. 
8. d 
Artichokes. 
dozen 
2 
0 to4 0 
Mushrooms . 
punnet 
i 
Otol 
6 
Asparagus. 
. bundle 
0 
ft 
0 0 
Mustard* Cress . 
punnet 
0 
2 
0 
3 
Beans,Kidney.. 
. V 100 
1 
0 
0 0 
Onions. 
bushel 
3 
6 
0 
0 
Beet, Red. 
. dozen 
1 
ft 
2 ft 
pickling. 
quart 
ft 
0 
0 
5 
Broccoli. 
. bundle 
ft 
9 
1 6 
Parsley. doz.bunches 
8 
0 
4 
0 
Brussels Sprouts. 
. j sieve 
2 
0 
0 0 
Parsnips. 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Cabbage. 
. dozen 
0 
6 
1 0 
Potatoes. 
bushel 
2 
6 
o 
0 
Carrots. 
. bunch 
0 
4 
0 6 
Kidney. 
bushel 
8 
ft 
3 
6 
Capsicums. 
100 
1 
6 
2 0 
Radishes_ doz .bunches 
1 
0 
0 
0 
Cauliflowers. 
. dozen 
1 
0 
3 6 
Rhubarb. 
bundle 
0 
4 
0 
6 
Celery . 
. bundle 
1 
6 
2 0 
Salsafy. 
bundle 
1 
0 
0 
0 
Coleworts_doz. bunches 
2 
ft 
4 0 
Scorzo’nera . 
bundle 
1 
6 
0 
0 
Cucumbers. 
. each 
0 
6 
0 8 
Seakale . 
basket 
2 
0 
2 
3 
Endive. 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 0 
Shallots. 
$>• tb. 
ft 
3 
0 
ft 
Fennel. 
. bunch 
0 
3 
0 0 
bushel 
3 
0 
0 
0 
Garlic . 
0 
6 
0 0 
Tomatoes . 
*»• lb. 
ft 
8 
1 
ft 
Herbs. 
bunch 
ft 
2 
0 c 
Turnips. 
bunch 0 
4 
ft 
ft 
Leeks. 
0 
3 
0 4 
Vegetable Marrows each 
0 
0 
0 
0 
POULTRY AND PIGEON CHRONICLE. 
MAKING FIRST-CLASS BUTTER. 
(Continued from page 42.) 
Having previously alluded to the Laval system of separating 
the cream from the buttermilk, it must be remembered that 
all the machinery was on a large scale and driven by steam 
power, therefore adapted only for large factories, like many on 
the Continent and in America. For instance, we have excellent 
butter from Holstein, from Denmark, and from various places in 
America. As, however, the exhibition of butter-making at Derby 
was only adapted for working upon an extensive scale, yet we 
commend the statement of the whole proceedings to the notice 
of the home farmer, as reported in the last volume of the Royal 
Society’s Journal; that will show the English butter maker the 
powerful rivalry with which he has to contend in the open market 
in his own country. 
We shall not pursue the factory working subject further, but 
proceed to notice what is not only necessary but obtainable in 
England, to enable the home farmer to manufacture butter by 
the most practical and improved means now available. We 
cannot, however, avoid observing that it has frequently occurred 
1 _._ 
[ January 19, 1882. 
to us as well as others that there can be no real necessity of im¬ 
porting large supplies of butter from distant lands when we have 
every facility for producing good butter at home with compa¬ 
ratively little trouble by the use of all the recent improvements 
in the art. The question will, therefore, very naturally be asked, 
How is it that so much butter is imported into England when we 
can make it cheaper and avoid the expense of importation ? The 
reply is extremely simple, and it is this—Foreigners make better 
butter than we do, notwithstanding the natural advantages we 
possess of selling it fresh and obtaining a good price for it. 
The last few sentences are the substance of a lecture by Dr. 
Voelcker delivered on opening a series of useful addresses 
on the “Principles of Butter-making” in the working dairy 
erected in the Royal Showyard at Derby. He continued, “Before 
speaking of the circumstances which spoil butter-making in this 
country, it is desirable that I should give you some explanation 
of the composition of milk. Milk, then, is a perfect food in a 
concentrated form, and contains everything necessary for the 
sustenance of young animals, especially as it contains all the 
elements necessary for bone-making. Cream consists of a certain 
proportion of water and fatty matters, and a small proportion of 
casein. It would, of course, be much better for the butter-maker 
if this latter element were absent, and if that were the case the 
principal part of the difficulties in the way of butter-making 
would be at once overcome, because it is due to the rapidity with 
which casein turns sour that butter obtains the rancid taste which 
we sometimes detect. If by any means we could separate the 
fatty matter from this casein or curd matter we should get ex¬ 
cellent butter. It is this curd matter which causes all the diffi¬ 
culty, and it is on this account that I believe dairy farmers will 
never obtain the first quality of butter from whole milk, certainly 
not the same quality as that which is obtained from cream. The 
composition of cream varies greatly, and the same remark applies 
to the fatty matters of which it is constituted. This circumstance 
I attribute in a very large degree to the feeding of the cows. It 
has been said, with a good deal of truth, that by overmanuring 
pasture land we reduce the fine quality of the butter made from 
the milk of cows fed upon such pasture. My belief is that the 
finest quality of butter is produced from pasture which contains 
a great variety of herbs, some of which might even be ranked as 
weeds. The question is, Can ordinary pasture produce first- 
quality butter ? and to that question I answer, Decidedly, if you 
take proper piecautions to prevent the cream turning sour before 
it is churned. This sourness, let me repeat, is the great hin¬ 
drance in the making high-class butter. Many persons deem this 
a small matter, and unconsciously allow the cream to get some¬ 
what sour before making butter; but if you desire to produce 
good, sweet, keeping butter you must churn cream as sweet as 
possible. 
“ How are you to prevent cream getting sour ? In the first place 
you must carefully look after all the people employed in ami 
about the dairy, to see that they always have the importance of 
cleanliness before their eye3; then when the milk is drawn from 
the cow it ought to be cooled down directly to about 55°, so as to 
take what is called the animal heat from it. As to the question 
of shallow or deep pans for ‘ setting ’ for cream, I am an advo¬ 
cate for the use of deep ones. After being filled with milk these 
pans should be placed in a vessel containing water—ordinary 
pump water answers well—for twelve hours ; or, if the milk is 
extra warm a little ice may be used, and this would result in a 
large proportion of cream rising. In order to prevent rancidity 
it is very important that the cream should be churned at once. 
In small dairies, however, this is impracticable, and in such cases 
every endeavour should be made to prevent the casein from chang¬ 
ing. Do not be in too great a hurry and turn irregularly, because 
if you do failure will almost certainly result. Turn steadily at 
about forty-five or fifty revolutions per minute. As soon as the 
butter comes—and this you can tell by the noise—it is time to 
stop the churn and deal with the butter kernels. Strain off the 
buttermilk, put some cold water into the churn, and turn it 
again two or three times, this will have the effect of washing the 
butter. Perhaps the best way is to incorporate the smallest 
quantity of salt or salt water into the churn so as to distribute 
the salt evenly amongst the butter. I do not recommend too 
frequent washing, as this only results in the butter losing that 
fine natural flavour which it should possess. After each process 
of butter-making, the churn and other utensils should be cleansed 
with boiling-hot water and followed by cold water.” 
We have taken these copious extracts from Dr. Voelcker’s lecture 
because it is so simple, and not only free from all chemical appli¬ 
ances, which the lecturer denounced entirely, but because the 
whole statement so entirely accords with the principles and 
process adopted in our dairy for many years, and which furnished 
