THE "DAIRYMAN'S TEN COMMANDMENTS."

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2112, 21 January 1886, Page 4

THE "DAIRYMAN'S TEN COMMANDMENTS."

In his recently published " Cheese and Buttei'maker's Handbook," Mr Harris prints the " Dairyman's Ten Commandments," an American production, which he read occasionally at his lessons in Ayrshire last autumn. They are as follows : — (1) Thou shalt not abuse nor worry thy cow — thou nor thy man servant, nor thy maid servant, nor thy dog, nor thy mischievous boy who driveth her up, but thou shalt at all times treat her with gentleness, and allow no one to molest or make her afraid, for in the day that thou vexest her or sufferest her to be vexed, there shall come a pestilence upon her, and it shall enter 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 away from thee with contempt. (2) Thou shalt not starve nor stint thy cpw for food, nor give her poor, iunutritioua or unwholesome food 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, aud a clear eye, for she has been given her unto thee as an inheiitance and a blessing, and a woe shall come upon him who offeudeth against her, for his bank account shall wither away and become as nought, and he shall be a bankrupt in the end. (3) The water that thy cow drinketh shall be pure water — water that bubbleth 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 by 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 marketmen, and he shall set his mark upon thee and will have no further dealing with thee. (4) Thou shalt give thy cows airple shade in summer, and warm shelter in winter ; and the latter shall be kept clean nnd sweet and be withal well ventilated ; and the cow shall have room for freedom of motion, a clean bed to lie on, and opportunity for such outdoor exercise as she may desire, to the end that her blood shall freely circulate, that her muscles shall not deteriorate and become weak or stiffened, and that her digestion and appetite shall remain good. (5) When thou milkest her thon shalt lead her apart into a quiet cool place where there is nought to disturb her or make her afraid ; aD-i while she chews hpr cud thou shalt milk her after a fashion of cleanliness. Thou shalt not sell or offer to sell as food for man her milk, ii she hath a calf of an age iess than four days, or if she struck with any phigue 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 everla&ting tiuth that cleanliness is next to godliness, and if thou keep the byres clean, and thy milking veesels thoroughly washed and scalded, and every thine; about thee neat and clean, it shall become a mark of distinction unto thee, and thou shall be favoured before thy brethren, and shalt increase in possessions and honour. (7) Thou shall cool and air thy milk as soon as drawn fiom 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 commandments— but by bringing thy milk in contact with a cool surface above the freezing point, and exposing thy milk in thin sheets to a clear atmosphere that it may become charged with oxygen, which has a wonderful virtue to prevent souring and tainting. It is shrewdly suspected by some of the prophets that airing milk is of more value than cooling it, and experience showeth that stirring with a dipper has a preservative effect. ' hou shalt 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. (S). Thou shalt not water thy milk by mixing it with the contents of the spring, the well, the cistern, the brook, the watering trough, or other sources of water supply, nor by feeding thy cow with villainous slops, wbey, or extremely succulent food, whereby the contents of thy milk shall be increased

m <|ii nitity at the expanse of quality uit'i tl>.' \ icw of c 1!!c 1 !! i»ing tlmic ownsoij, imil standing in con-tout dai-ger of the pti ait.\ <>i the law. (')). I'lkmi slialt not skim lh\ milk l.\ t.i'ung oil tin- cie.wn that ri^tth in the (.•an o\er niL'ht, tli.it tliou v: i\ti>t lia\e .1 little (ii.iin fwro'lleo ; not In M-ttmjr it in ji.nsoi oth r r \\U n-ils u\ < 1 night. 1101 ')> «-'iMiig fetnpj)in;.'s. ii'ii liy .'n> otliei pioc -s ; for it tlunc own bcnsc of •loin'stj <loe^ not iistiain thee, thou -houldst comt .ntly li.uu tin- kar of tVu hv\ mil of tlit ujtdiful t-y(H ot thy ii( iglilnuii bcfoiu thce. It is better to -,i\o out a small case ine&s for thine own use (10) Thou <-!'alt Tot commit acini tciv by adult' rating tliy iiiilk witli bunit m^',ll, chalk, so<la, or any ingiodicnt or compound wlnt'-o' \oi, nor by yi\:ng \i!i 1 stuffs to •hy i)\\,n'jr !»y any lncuis, tiiok, dei ice, orpioiLSS known or unknown lo Di- iiahiially dt'iu.wed. The l.iws of the countiy. tlio lu-alth of the community, and the lives of the people, especially of the hosts of the little oiks-, eiy out against the unpniduiiublc <-in. UridiT tlit. new dispensation I add the clcv until commandment. (11) Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, and keep thy Sunday's milk at home for the puipose of making sweet butter for the use of thy family, and that the cheebemaker and all his 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 sciiptures and laws of the country, and proloiu' the lives and improve the morals of a large and constantly increasing class of useful citizens. "By faithfully observing these commandments," 1 Mr Han is concludes, "the dairyman will keep a clear conscience, avoid annoying and expensive prosecutions, retain the respect of bis neighbours, secure a competency ot the world's goods, live a peaceful life, and in bis old age ' approach the bed of death like one who wraps the drapery of his couch about him and lits down to pleasant dreams.' "