FACTS FOR FARMERS.

Waikato Times, Volume VIII, Issue 423, 2 February 1875, Page 2

FACTS FOR FARMERS.

COVERING MILK. Mr L. B. Arnold treats briefly, but with pertinence, on the bad practice of keeping milk close covered. He says while the animal warmth is escaping it should have plenty of air, that the germs of decay are held in a putrefactive yeast, and this can be killed by oxygen. When uri.k has to be sent far to town for sale, he has invented a kind of stopper that will allow the air to come tv the milk, yet prevent the milk from slopping over from the tossing of the vehicle. He thinks much of the mischief from floating curds and tainted cheese and bursting bandages can be forestalled bv beginning betimes, and treating the mil* right when it first comes from the cow.

BUTTER-MAKING. In order to make the most and best butter in hot weather it is particularly necessary to cool the milk immediately after milking. Milk in tin pails ; have a tub similar to a wash tub for each pail ; set the pai's in the tubs filled with cold water from a good spring or well ; stir the m^lk and the water every few minutes till the milk i«| about as cool as the water. If you can get v the milk quite cool before setting, and -jet shallow in the pans, it is better not to let the pans stand in water « hile the cream is rising, as the cream will be all up before the milk becomes very thick. Skim as little milk as possible with the cream as that is the great secret about quick churning.

WASHING BUTTER. " Mv plan of washing butter," says «n old dairymay of 49 years' experience, "is probably new. I use a plain crank-churn — goes by hand — average time, twenty minutes for N Wge,^ twelve for small churning. Ido not claim to^make more or better butter from the same cream than with a dash-churn, but I do claim that I can do "the work with one half the time and labor. Much of 'his saving is caused by the convenience of washing, getting rid of the butter-milk water, and in working the butter. As soon as I discover thut the butter begins to separate I put in .-. quart of cold water ; this is to thin the milk, which will cause it to free itself more readily from the butter. I then churn until the particles are about the size of a pea. I then draw off the milk and put in a gallon of water, churn, and draw agnin and sotnetimes put in one more washing. The common way is to churn until the butter is about one solid mass ; but how is the water to take effect on the inside <5f these large lumps of butter? I should about as soon think of washing the inside of a glass bottle by washing the outside. 1

WASHING WOOL. A few weeks ago, I endeavoured to show' the amount of loss the farmer incurred by sending his wool to market in an unwashed state. On that occasion I stateJ that for long wcTol there would be a loss of about Is 6i per fleece iii spsndjng the wool to market unwashe I, or an aggregate loss upon -the wool of a flock of 2,000 sheep of ,£l5O. By an Australian jouraal which I received after the arrival of the s.s., Phoebe at Onehunga on Saturday last, the Warenambool Standard, I see that the profitableness or otherwise of washing sheep before oheaiing them has been agitating the miads of the New South Wales flock owners. The above journal states that^ an interesting experiment waa tried bv Mr Wm. Rutledge, which illustrates forcibly tue relative value of washed and greasy woo]. Last year a flock of halfbred ewes consisting of l,s6|\n ajU r waa divided at random into two lots, one of ToJ being washed, and the other of 782 shorn in the gfeose. The sheep were all of the same age and breed, had been similarly treated throughout the previous year, and the shearing was effected within forty-eight hours. The wool went borne in the same ship, and ifaa all sold iri London db IOtJ/Septemb^r last by the same broso that ho trial could of fairer. Tha results ?re| th«t the )fecoount salta show a, balance of ~£&i JOs 8d in Kvour &i th«| washed wool. The washed sh:o > brought (aiier deducting expenses oi -Wiuhmg) £>* lid pel-slieep as aguust 7s'9^'l, ashetip lorgjeaß^, Stiuwing' a clear proiit la i|-i oh the wa,sdsxi shee^). Tiio loss of weight by Wailing was

fouhd to be as nearly "as possible one third; the lesser charge for freight on greasy wool — Jd instead |^fh^bY.il6n&fßans compensated for the extra weight Tjand the warehouse charges on the greasy wool were al^o more in proportion. The.exf)eriment shows how great a lote must be sustained 1 v by la"rge <flockowners when they shear in the*' grease. The above result also shows how near the truth weiv my remarks. Had the sheep shorn, by Mr Rutiedge been Lincoins or Leicesters it is probable that almost the very figures I stated would have been realised. — Old Colonial.