CHAMBERS'S INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE. 



the curd is dry. An apparatus measuring 2 feet 4 

 inches in diameter, and I foot 7 inches deep, holds 

 the curd of forty-two gallons of milk, and is cap- 

 able of making cheese from ten cows once a day, 

 or from twenty cows twice a day. The price of 

 such an apparatus is 16. 



In the figure, a form of curd-cutter much used 

 in the dairies of Cheshire is represented. 



Curd -cutter. 



Great improvements have been recently intro- 

 duced in the mechanism of churns. The plunge 

 or barrel churn is rarely used except in cases 

 where it can be worked by power. The box-chum 

 with vertical dashers is now much used. The 

 annexed figure represents a modification of the 



Anthony's American Atmospheric Churn. 



box-churn known as Anthony's American Atmos- 

 pheric Churn. This has a high reputation. 



Butter 



that is made from milk as obtained from the cow, 

 contains more caseine than butter made from the 

 cream. The greater portion of the butter produced 

 in England is from the cream, which is collected 

 in about thirty-six to forty-eight hours after the 

 milk is placed in coolers, the depth of the milk 

 being regulated to about three to four inches. 

 The cream, as it is gathered and allowed to stand 

 for a time, acquires acidity, the sugar of milk 



638 



undergoing a chemical change. The butter is 

 produced by churning. The temperature of the 

 milk when put into the churn, the form of the 

 churn, and the speed at which it is moved, all 

 influence the period required to separate the 

 butter from the milk ; which milk, after the butter 

 is collected, is termed sour-milk, butter-milk, &c. 

 The time required before the cream of the milk, 

 or the milk drawn from the cow, should be put 

 into the churn, differs materially during warm 

 weather ; two days may be sufficient, especially 

 if sweet butter is desired. A longer period than 

 two days, however, is generally observed, as the 

 quantity of the butter is an important element. 



The length of time the milk should stand before 

 the cream is skimmed, should be regulated by the 

 weather ; during summer, thirty-six hours ; but if 

 very hot, with much electricity in the atmosphere, 

 twenty-four hours are sufficient. In winter, forty- 

 eight hours, or even longer, may be necessary to 

 the collection of the whole cream on the surface. 

 To produce superior butter, the cream should be 

 early collected, and only once. Churning should 

 proceed within forty-eight hours after the cream is 

 gathered. The temperature should be regulated 

 to about 51 degrees Fahrenheit in summer, and 

 55 degrees Fahrenheit in winter ; the agent em- 

 ployed, cold or hot water. The temperature at 

 which butter can be produced by agitating the 

 milk, has been ascertained to range from 50 to 80 

 degrees Fahrenheit. Some colouring matter is 

 usually added to the milk previous to churning. 

 Saffron, annatto, juice of the carrot, are used. All 

 colouring matter should be avoided, but the public 

 opinion as to the colour of rich butter guides prac- 

 tice. In Holland, the butter produced in winter 

 is white. The colour obtained from the cows de- 

 pasturing on old rich pastures, is a colour lighter 

 than the greater portion of the butter exposed for 

 sale salt, powdered, or fresh. Churning at a low 

 temperature retains a portion of the colouring 

 matter, which otherwise would pass into the 

 butter-milk. 



The best quality of butter is obtained at a tem- 

 perature of 51 degrees, according to experiments 

 performed by Mr Poole ; and the greatest quantity 

 at a temperature of 56 degrees. During the pro- 

 cess of churning, the agitation will increase the 

 heat about five degrees. 



In some of the dairies in the neighbourhood of 

 Edinburgh, and in all those near Glasgow, as 

 indeed in Scotland and Ireland generally, the 

 butter is made by churning the cream and the 

 milk together. This is done in order to obtain 

 the butter-milk, the demand for which is generally 

 great. When the milk and cream are to be churned 

 together, the milk is kept in the coolers for from 

 twelve to twenty-four hours, and then poured into 

 a milk-tub. It remains here until required for 

 churning, and will, during this time, have partially 

 coagulated. 



The operation of churning, whether it be of 

 cream alone, or cream and milk, is performed in 

 the same manner. Milk requires more time 

 than cream to complete the process, from two to 

 three hours being sometimes necessary, while 

 cream alone may be effectually churned in one- 

 half to one hour. It is necessary that the opera- 

 tion should be slow in warm weather ; for if done 

 too hastily, the butter will be soft and white. In 

 winter, the operation of churning should be done 



