What is milk? Men of science inform us, "that it is a connecting and intermediate substance between animals and vegetables. Almost every kind of the mammalia class has something different in the composition of its milk. That produced by the cow is well known to be the most abundant and valuable of any of them. This white opaque fluid has a slight peculiar smell and an agreeable sweetish flavour. It is composed of water, oil, sugar, curd, acetic acid, extractive, muriates of soda and potash, sulphate of potash, and phosphates of lime, magnesia and iron".

When properly set, that is, immediately after it comes from the cow, in a shallow earthenware pan, a thick unctuous yellowish substance begins to rise to the surface, which we call cream. This is skimmed off at the end of twelve or twenty-four hours, and put into an earthen pot, and after a sufficient quantity has been collected, it is churned into butter. To make cheese the milk should be heated to a certain temperature and a little rennet poured into it which will cause it to coagulate into a mass, and the curd to separate from the whey; the solid we call curd and the liquid whey. Thus milk is separated into three parts - cream, curd, and whey.

Butter is usually produced by means of beaters or fans, which are made to agitate the cream; during this process a separation takes place between what is called the butyraceous particles and the thin serous fluid. The former unites into a mass and is called butter, and the latter, butter-milk.

It is not generally known that a little hot or cold water mixed with the cream neither lessens the quantity of butter nor injures its flavour. It is merely added to assist in attaining a proper temperature for churning.

A Few General Remarks On Milk

Milk is one of the most useful articles of food. It can be equally taken by old and young, and is very nourishing.

Milk or cream is a necessary adjunct to the breakfast table, and renders tea, coffee, or cocoa a delicious beverage, and none of our meals would be complete without butter. In some form or other milk is present. In cream, butter, or cheese, cakes, pastry, etc.

The constant demand for milk amongst all classes of society keeps up its high price, and only a small quantity can be purchased by the poor. It is, however, a luxury they generally appreciate, and they usually manage to have a little every day. They may not always be able to procure meat, but with rare exceptions they can get a little piece of butter and cheese, which give a relish to their food.

It shows God's wisdom and goodness that those things which are most necessary are most abundant.