Farm and Garden.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 429, 11 August 1904, Page 2

Farm and Garden.

ORIGINAL ARTICLES,

EDUCATIONAL BUTTER TESTS. fgaggT a recent meeting of buttermakers f|nß| it was stated that a gradual 2gHg| improvement in the quality of butter bi d taken place, so far a? workmanship is concerned. Previously the exhibits of batter were defective in grain,, colour or sali, and other defects which were very common. The flavour of bitter milk was quite etrong in many instances, which may be overcome by having the milk delivered every day. In many instances the old cream flavour was much in evidence, buttermakers receiving cream getting lower scores than those who handle whole milk. Is such cases it is suggested that the cream should be delivered every day durinz the summer period and every other day daring the cooler weather or winter period. Besides that the cream should be properly aerated and cooled. Batter makers should have two or three starters; there have been instances where starters were not used, and in such cases very few secured good scores, again proving that a good starter is necessary for the beet butter. Great care is necessary in the surrounding circumstances ; for instance it is possible to induce a burnt or curdy flavour to tbe butter, because of the cans having a burnt odour left in them from heating skimmilk ; also there is liability of the butter having a weedy taste because of the tubs sot being soaked, or at any rate properly soaked. The butter which usually scores highest is mild, clean and sweet; fcbat is the aroma, or what some people name uose flavour. The mild sweet flavour is generally preferred, as it is stated that kind of butter retains its good condition longer than when made from cream with a very high degree of acidity and with a high aroma. That kind of butter deteriorates more rapidly than that which is less marked in that respect. On the other hand butter for cold storage should.be j net the reverse. It should be mad from cream ripened high, and the more acidity the better. A sour starter, such as butteimilk, will make good butter for cold storage. Sour butter will come out sweeter, and sweet butter when put into storage will come out with a fishy odour.

STORING AND C 4 RING FOR POTATOES.

The chief thisgs to observe in storing and caring for potatoes is to keep them dry and cool, for too much moisture will develop rot, and high temperatures will cause the tubers to sprout aid grow. The only right way to kesp them dry is to put them in a dry place and have them perfectly dry before storing. Potatoes should never be stored immediately after digging, but should be allowed to dry. If picked up directly after digging, unless taken to market at once for shipment, they should be placed in small long piles not to exceed four or fire bushels, and leiftfor a week or ten days. That will give them a good airing and allow the surplus moisture in them to evaporate, or, as some farmers call it, allow them to sweat. If the moisture remains is the potatoes it will collect in drops on the surface of tubsrs in the middle ofi a large bin .full, and will foster rot germs and destroy many bushels before the owner is aware. Never dig up potatoes on a damp foggy day, or a day when a soft drizzling rain is falling. About the best place to keep potatoes is a root cellar, as it is usually dry and can be kept at a i uniform temperature. Potatoes can be placed in it soon after digging, and the door left open for coding and drying purposes. But the ideal storing place ia cold storage in a building specially erected for that purpose, as in that the tubers would be quite free from moisture and cool, and get no damage from extreme cold But such a building is only available for large shippers, and s> the cellar is resorted to ss the cheapest and most practical. Barrels or crates are very convenient where they are obtainable j storage bias about four or five feet wide and of convenien length, and provided with a floor a few inches above the ground, will serve the purpose very well. Seed potatoes require much more care. The first thing is selection of the finest, moat healthy and soundest, not necessarily the largest tubers, and such selection is best made at the time of digging. A reason for taking gcoi care of Reed potatoes is that the first sprout is always the strongest. If that is allowed to grow in a *arm cellar or other place where seed is kept, and is broken. off at planting time, the eye will send forth two others, but weaker ones, and if those are brokn cff a third set of sprouts still weaker will grow, Thus instead of one or two strong healthy stalks several weak ones will grow, and the tubers will be small. It sometimes happens that potatoes will rot in the cellar in spite of the beat of cars, and then the only thing to do is to sort them over at once, placing those that have not even a spot by themselves, If potatoes seem to be rotting i a the ground during the digging season owing towet weather, the best way is to atop digging, and ia a few weeks the tube?s affacted will be soft and the disease cease spreading.