in the composition of the milk, it is no longer capable of holding the
casein in solution, and the curd therefore separates.

The churn and other vessels in which the milk is placed cannot be kept
too clean. No amount of labor bestowed on the scalding and scrubbing
of the vessels is excessive. When wood is the material used in the
milk-pans the utmost care should be taken in cleaning them, as the
porous nature of the material favors the retention of small quantities
of the milk. A simple washing will not suffice to clean such vessels.
They must be thoroughly scrubbed and afterwards well scalded with
_boiling_ water. Tin pans are preferable to wooden ones, as they are
more easily cleaned, but in their turn they are inferior to glass
vessels, which ought to supersede every other kind. Earthenware, lead,
and zinc pans are in rather frequent use. The last-mentioned material
is easily acted upon by the lactic acid of the sour milk, and is,
therefore, objectionable. It is a matter of great importance that the
dairy should not be situated near a pig-stye, sewer, or water-closet,
the effluvia from which would be likely to taint the milk. It is
surprising how small a quantity of putrescent matter is sufficient
to taint a whole churn of milk; and as it has been demonstrated that
the almost inappreciable emanations from a cesspool are capable of
conferring a bad flavor on milk, it is in the highest degree important
to remove from the churn and milk-pail every trace of the sour milk. I
go further, it is even desirable that no one whose hands have a tendency
to perspire should be allowed to manipulate in the dairy; and it should
be constantly borne in mind that the dairy-maid's fingers and hot water
should be on the most intimate visiting terms.

Butter is made either from cream--sour and sweet--or from whole milk
which has stood sufficiently long to become distinctly sour. It is
asserted by some makers that butter prepared from whole milk, or
from scalded cream, contains a large proportion of curd. If this be
true--which I greatly doubt--it is a serious matter, for such butter
would speedily become rancid in consequence of the casein acting as
a ferment. I believe that experience points to an exactly opposite
conclusion. From the results of careful inquiries I feel no hesitation
in asserting that the butter should not be made from the cream, but from
the _whole milk_. When made from the cream alone it is much more likely
to acquir