HQ DOMESTIC ECONOMY. [Chap. IV. 



Undoubtedly butter can be ^vorked so as to keep sweet without washing ; 

 so can wheat be cut witli a sickle, and thrashed with a flail, but the}' are not 

 great labor-saving machines. 



With successful butter-makers the churning occupies about half an hour. 

 By increasing the temperature of the cream, it could be done in one half 

 the time, but the quality of the butter would be much reduced. In winter, 

 to facilitate the rising of the cream, the earthen pans for holding the 

 milk are rinsed in hot water before use, and warm water is ajiplied 

 around them, not to heat the milk, but for a time to maintain its original 

 temperature. 



AVhen the temperature of the dairy is less than fifty degrees Fahrenheit, 

 the milk will not ripen for churning, and in such case should be removed for 

 a time to a temperature of fifty-live degrees. The sudden warming of the 

 milk will not always enable it to yield yp its butter readily. 



One butter-maker says : " Carefully conducted experiments prove that 

 more butter is obtained from a given quantity of milk, when set in pans 

 partly filled, than when full." This is in opposition to the theory of A. B. 

 Dickenson. 



A French chemist declares that butter may be made M'ithout churning, by 

 the use of a filter, made of white felt, in the form of a bag, in the four 

 corners of which are inserted porous strings, like candlewick, to hasten otf 

 the fluid portion of the milk. The bag being suspended by the four corners, 

 from twenty-four to thirty hours, the contents of the filter will be found to 

 be of the consistence of " smear case" (soft cheese). This solidified cream 

 is then placed in a linen bag, tied tight, and the bag kneaded like a roll of 

 dough. In a few minutes the mass grows liquid, and the butter and butter- 

 milk are separated. 



One large butter-maker says: "I use a horse-power churn, of a capacitj- 

 suificiently great to make one hundred and twenty pounds of butter. I 

 always try the temperature of my churn before putting in the cream. If 

 below fifty -five degrees, I raise it to that point with warm water, and keep 

 the cream as near that point as. possible. As soon as the cream is in the 

 churn I start the horse, and keep him moving at a steady gait until the but- 

 ter is broken, or begins to gather in small lumps. Opposite the opening 

 through which the cream is poured into the churn is an inch hole, M-hicli is 

 stopped with a plug. When the butter is formed as above stated, I open this 

 hole and draw oft' all the buttermilk, then start the horse again, and keep 

 him going until I gather the butter into a solid mass. This accomplished, 

 it is taken from the churn and put into a tub prepared for it. I then weigh 

 the whole mass, and ti'ansfer it to the butter-worker, when it is worked over 

 twice, after which I add one dessert tablespoonful of the very best dairy 

 salt to every pound. I again work it well, so as to incorporate the salt 

 thorouglilv. It is again Aveighed into pound, lumps and printed. The 

 human hand is never allowed to touch the butter, nor is water ever used to 

 wash it." 



