MODERN FARRIER. 395 



very reasonable ascribed to a quite different cause. 

 He has proved that the cream of a given measure of 

 milk constantly increases in quantity, and still more 

 in quality, from the first drawn tea-cupful, to the 

 last drop that can be squeezed from the udder at 

 the time. 



From 12 to 20 hours in summer, and about twice 

 as long in winter, should be permitted to elapse be- 

 fore the milk is skimm^ed, after it has been put into 

 the milk-pans. If, on applying the tip of the finger 

 to the surface, nothing adheres to it, the cream may 

 be properly taken off; and during the hot summer 

 months, this should be always done in the morning, 

 before the dairy becomes warm. The cream should 

 then be deposited in a deep pan, placed in the coolest 

 part of the dairy ; or in a cool cellar, where free air 

 is admitted. In hot w^eather, churning should be 

 performed, if possible, every other day ; but if this 

 is not convenient, the cream should be daily shifted 

 into a clean pan ; and the churning should never be 

 less frequent than twice a week. This work should 

 be performed in the coolest time of the day, and in 

 the coolest part of the house, where there is a free 

 draught of air. Cold water should be applied to the 

 churn, first by filling it with this, some time before 

 the cream is poured in, and then by immersing it in 

 •water to the depth of a foot or so, during the opera- 

 ■tion, provided we use the pump-churn ; or by apply- 

 ing wet cloths to it, if we use a barrel-churn. Such 

 means are generally necessary to prevent the too 

 rapid acidification of the cream, and formation of the 

 butter. ** 



The winter season and cold weather, of course, 



■require an opposite practice ; but we can hardly be 



vtoo cautious in the application of heat ; for the com- 



Tiion practices of wrayjping the churn in a warm cloth, 



plunging it into hot water, adding warm milk to the 



! 'cream, or placing the churn near the fire, all tend to 



V injure the butter. The best way, perhaps, is to heat 



