fatter Butter, than those which are fed upon fhort Grafs; for a Proof of which we might inftance Holland, where, according to my Obfervation, is found the fatteft or richest Butter in Eurote; and there the Cows feed in the Salt Marshes.

?

Where the Parmesan Cheeses are made, the Country is flat, and is floated Three or Four times in a Year. The most famous Place for thefe Cheeses is at a Town in the Milaneze whofe Name I do not now remember; here however we must observe, that the Water is not Salt which overflows the Land. The Ifle of Ely, and other fenny Countries, always produce very good Butter; and I think it is as juft an Obfervation, that the high dry Grounds never yield Butter, which has either Richness in it, or will keep three Days without changing to fuch a Relifh as a nice Tafte cannot bear. And again, in fuch Grounds we find, that the Cattle of whatever fort they are, do not produce fo much Milk, as they would do if they were fed in low Grounds or marfh Lands. And here we ought to confider in particular, how far every distinct Kind of Grafs, or Herb, influences the Milk, the Butter, or the Cheese; and how it happens that the Milk of a Cow, of one fort, fhall differ from another, though they both have the fame Pafture; or whether it is the Nature of these Animals at one time more than another, to give unprofitable Milk from the fame Diet: Here would be a vaft Field to reafon upon; but at present I have not Materials fufficient to explain this Matter fo fully as I would do. Before we can rightly undertake it, we must be fatisfied what fort of Grafs or Food the Cows have Suffolk, what in Cheshire, and what these Crea

tures

tures feed moft generally upon in the other Counties of Britain, and alfo how fuch Graffes are water'd.

in

But again, if the Milk be perfectly good, it may be spoil'd by bad Management in the Dairy. In Devonshire, and fome other Counties in the Weft of England, I obferv'd that the Butter Places tafted of Smoak, and was apt many to grow rank foon after making, which made me curious to enquire into the Čaufe. The Milk of it felf was good, and the Cream was rich; but I found the Method of making it into Butter occafion'd both the Evils: For, firft, I found that the Milk was fet in brass Pans; and in the next Place, the Butter was made in brass Kettles over a Fire, without a Churn: From whence we may eafily conceive, that the best Milk, with this Management, could never yield good Butter; for it is certain, that Brass will communicate part of its rank Quality to any Liquor it is infufed in: And where the Liquor has the fame Opportunity of correfponding with Brafs, as in the prefent Cafe, for twelve Hours at a time, it is no wonder if the Milk gathers from it an ungrateful Relifh; but especially when it is warm'd over the Fire in brass Veffels, for then it must certainly partake of the Qualities of the Brass more than it did before in the Dairy Pans. And tho' it is generally allow'd that Veffels of Brafs give lefs Impreffion to Liquors, than those made of other Metals, yet we may be affured Brass has fome Effect upon Liquors, and efpecially the Juices of Animals when they are warm; for to apply the Hand when it fweats to a piece of Brafs, though it be never fo well polifh'd, it will in lefs than a Minute occafion a moft ungrateful Scent like that of Aqua fortis,

which will remain upon the Hand for a Quarter of an Hour. Befides which, I could produce many other Inftances of the like nature if it was neceffary, to prove that Brafs has an Effect upon Liquids, and chiefly fuch as proceed from Animal Bodies.

The Use of brass Veffels, however, I found had been a Cuftom of fo long a Date, that it was with great Difficulty I prevail'd upon a few to try the Method of the London Dairies, viz. to ufe glazed earthen Pans, in lieu of brafs Veffels, and to avoid the Smoaking of the Milk over the Fire, by using a Churn, which many of them had never heard of till that Time; but tho' fome few have try'd this Way, and found their Account by it, yet is it fo difficult to overcome the Prejudice of Education, that I do not find many who have had Refolution enough to trust their Senfes, and correct the Errors of that Part of Farming, which in fome Places in England might be render'd the richest Branch in Husbandry, and be of a private as well as publick Benefit; for certainly those who excel in the Management of the Dairy have their private Gain, and may be generally useful as Examples, or in giving the World fuch Goods as cannot fail of a fuitable Reward.

One of my Correfpondents computes, that Butter, Cheese, and the Product of Milk, amounts to more than an Eighth Part of the Money gain'd by Farming in England; and he adds, that the Money to be gain'd by this Branch might amount to much more than it does at prefent, if all our Country Dairies were to follow the Examples of thofe who excell'd the moft in the Dairy Way. I confefs, that I agree with him fo far as the Dairy Management is concern'd;

but

but on the other hand, we must confider what is before related, that Soil, Grafs or Herb, and the Nature of the Kine muft first be exactly taken care of; and where these all concur, I find the London Markets will give in the Value of one Pound Weight of Butter, four Pence or five Pence more than it would bring, if it was want

ing of any of thefe Helps: So that Butter well made, cannot fail of raising as much Money, as will gratefully reward the Care and Industry of the Farmer.

Of Cheeses we may obferve many Varieties, partly from the Dairy Management, and partly from the Food of the Cattle: It would be well worth the Farmers while to collect the feveral Receipts for making Cheefes, from the moft noted Places, and in a particular manner to observe, that in fuch Cheeses as are defign'd for keeping, the Curds are broken very small, and as equally as poffible, that when the Cheese is put into the Fatt, every Part of it may be equally prefs'd, fo that never a drop of Whey may remain in it; for 'tis for want of this Care, that we fo often find Cheefes full of thofe Hollows which are call'd Eyes in Cheese, and occafion great lofs to the Farmer.

I am inform'd that in Wales it is common to mix the Cows Milk with that of Goats, Sheep, Mares, or other Cattle. I have there tafted excellent Cheese, exceeding those of Cheshire, in high Flavour and Richness.

I remember a Dutch Merchant once told me, that he had fent fome of the best Holland Cheeses to the East-Indies, and receiv'd one of them back in greater Perfection than he had ever tafted any. His Method was to lay them in Oil, and stop them close up in earthen Vef

fels

2

fels, which, he says, helps them extreamly when they are about paffing the Line; where the Heat is fo great, that Cheeses are commonly loft by it, without fuch Caution as he used. Óne of my Acquaintance is often at the Expence of Canary Wine to keep his Cheeses in, which renders them very mellow, efpecially if they have the Help of moderate conftant Warmth, about a Fortnight before they are cut. The Angelots might furely be made as well in England as elsewhere, feeing we have in fome County or other, the fame Food for Cattle that other Countries afford.

CHA P. IV.

;

To Mr. A. B. concerning the Management of a Piece of Ground about one Acre with fome Obfervations relating to Fish, Poultry, Rabbets, and preparing or curing of Pork and Bacon, adapted to the Service of a Family of Seven or Eight Perfons.

SIR,

According to your Defire I am fet down to

give you my Thoughts concerning the Advantages you may reap from the Piece of Ground which you defign to make into a Garden of Profit. And first, I fhall prefcribe the Method of fencing that Part of your Ground which lies next to the River, fo that the brifk

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