The Farm.

Southern Cross, Volume 2, Issue 28, 6 October 1894, Page 3

The Farm.

THE DAIRYMAN’S TEN COMMANDMENTS.

(From Harris’s Cheese and Butter Maher’s Handbook.)

The following, whether they were written hy some modern Moses and engraved on tablets of stone on Mount Sinai or not, we do not know, but we do know that they ought to be engraved in letters of gold in the memory and mind of every dairyman in this broad land. I have been repeatedly urged to draw up a set of rules for the observance of the patrons of cheese-factories. I have preferred, like Moses, to give my inspiration in the form of a Decalogue, without the observance of which no patron need hope to make the land flow with milk and money : 1. Thou shaft not abuse or worry thy cow thou nor thy manservant, nor thy maid-servant, nor nor thy dog, nor the mischievous boy who driveth her up, but thou .shaft at all times treat her with gentleness, and allow no one to molest or make her afraid for in the day that thou vexeth her or suffer her to be vexed there shall come a pestilence upon her, and it shall enter into her milk, and taint thy butter and thy cheese, so that it shall become a .stench in the nostrils of the buyer, and he shall turn a way from, thee with contempt. 2. Thou shalt not starve or stint thy oow for food, nor give ber poor, innutritions, or unwholesome feed of any kind whatsoever, but an abundance of that which is palatable and good for her system, that she may keep in good flesh, have a smooth coat, and a clear eye; for I have given her unto thee as an inheritance and a blessing, and a woe shall come upon him whooffendeth against her, for his bank account shall wither away and became as naught, and he shall be a bankrupt in the land3. The water that thy cow drinketh

shall be pure water water that hubbleth up in the crystal fountain , or runneth in the brook or the swift river, or that which is drawn from the deep well; for if thou bj sloth compel her to quench her thirst at mud-holes and stagnant pools, there shall a day overtake thee when thy goods shall be refused at the hands of the market-man, and he shall set his mark upon thee, and will have no further dealings with thee. 4. Thou shalt give thy cows ample shade in summer and a warm shelter in the winter; and the latter shall be kept clean and sweet, and be withal well ventilated; and tby cow shall have room for freedom of motion, a clean bed to lie on, and opportunity for such out-door exercise as she may desire, to the end that her blood shall freely circulate, that her muscles shall not deteriorate or become weak or stiffened, and that her digestion and appetite shall remain good. 5. When thou milketh her thou sha.lt lead her apart into a cool, quiet place, where there is nought to disturb her or make her afraid ; and while she cheweth her cud thou shall milk her after a fashion of cleanliness ; thou shalt not sell or offer to sell as food for man her milk if she hath a calf of an "age less than four days, or if she he struck with any plague like unto horn distemper, or fever, or gorget, or any other disease, lest the magistrate summon thee to appear and answer before him. 6. Thou shalt be clean, for, lo ! it standeth as an everlasting truth that cleanliness is next to godliness: and if thou keep thy byres clean and thy milking vessels thoroughly washed and scalded, and everything about thee neat and clean, it shall become a mark of distinction unto thee, and thou shalt be favoured before thy brethren, and shall increase in possessions and honour.

7. Thou shalt cool and air thy milk as soon as drawn from the cow, by using the best appliances at thy command—not by putting cold water or ice into it, for that would be a violation of both the law and the commandments—but by bringing thy milk in

contact with the .cool surface above the freezing point, and exposing thy milk in thin sheets to clean atmosphere, that it may become charged with oxygen, which has a wonderful virtue to prevent souring and tainting. It is shrewdly suspected hy some of the prophets that airing milk is of more value than and experience showeth that stirring with a dipper has a preservative effect. Thou shaft confine thy milk in a covered can as short a time as possible, and protect it from the rays of the sun and the hot atmosphere. 8. Thou shalt not water thy milk hy mixing with it the contents of the spring, the well, the cistern, the brook, the watering trough, or other source of water supply ; nor by feeding thy cow villanous slops, whey, or extremely succulent food, whereby the contents of thy milk-can shall be increased in quantity at the expense of quality, with the view of cheating thy neighbour; for thou wilt thereby be cheating thine own soul and stand in constant danger of the penalty of the law.

9. Thou shalt not skim thy milk by taking off the cream that riseth in the can over night, that thou mayest have a little cream for coffee; nor by setting it in pans or other utensils over night; nor by saving strippings, nor by any other process —for if thine own sense of honesty does not restrain thee, thou shouldst constantly have the fear of the law and of the watchful eyes of thy neighbours before thee. It is better to save out a small mess of milk for thine own use.

10. Thon shalt not commit adultery by adulterating thy milk with burnt sugar, chalk, salt, soda, or any ingredient or compound whatsoever ; nor by giving vile stuffs to thy cow ; nor by any means, trick, device, or process, known or unknown, to be naturally depraved. The laws of the country, the health of the community, and the lives of the people, especially of the hosts of little ones who are likened unto the kingdom of heaven, cry out against this unpardonable sin. Under the new dispensation, I add the eleventh commandment:

11. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, and keep tby Sunday’s milk at home for the purpose of making sweet butter for the use of tby family, and that the cheese-maker and all w T ho labour with him in the factory may rest, and worship according to the dictates of conscience, on every Sunday. Thereby shalt thou meet the requirements of the Scriptures and of the laws of the country, and prolong the lives and improve the morals of a large and constantly increasing class of useful citizens. By faithfully observing these commandments, the dairyman shall keep a clear conscience, avoid annoying and expensive prosecutions, retain the respect of his neighbours, secure a competency of this world’s goods, live a peaceful life, and in his old age “ approach the bed of death like one who wraps the drapery of his couch about him and lies down to pleasant dreams.”