CHAPTER VIII. 



CHURNS. 



Of churns and churn-making one might truly say there is no 

 end. New churns, for which all kinds of advantages are claimed, 

 from making butter in the space of a few seconds to that of extract- 

 ing from 25 to 50 per cent, more butter from the cream than any 

 other variety, are being continually put on the market. 



The operation of churning consists of separating the fat 

 globules from the milk, and to so separate them that they are not 

 broken is the whole art of churning. Rapidity in churning, 

 although it may save labor, frequently results in the breaking of the 

 fat globules, thus causing a greasy butter. It must be remembered 

 that the ability of a churn depends greatly on the temperature and 

 ripeness of the cream at the time of churning, and no churn has yet 

 been made that will give satisfactory results at all times unless 

 these important conditions are attended to. So far as is known the 

 earliest form of churn consisted of skins of animals, into which the 

 whole milk was placed, and these were hung on the back of a 

 camel or ass, which was kept at a trot until the process of churning 

 was completed. Since that time churns, fearfully and wonderfully 

 made, have been put before the public, many of them at enormous 

 cost, but of late years it has been proved that the principle of the 

 old skin churn, viz., concussion, is in reality the correct one. 



There is no doubt that good results are obtained from many 

 different varieties, but if quality of butter and quantity, together 

 with good keeping properties, are wanted in a changeable climate 

 like that of Australia, so far the best results have been obtained 

 from the concussion churns. These vary greatly in shape and 

 method of working, still the principle involved is the same in all. 

 Until within late years in many places the whole milk was churned, 

 and in large dairies this involved churning every day, and some- 

 times several times daily. The churning was generally done by 

 hand power, and not till within comparatively recent years was 

 horse or steam power applied. 



The most common form of churn was the " barrel," not such 

 as we understand the barrel churn of the present clay, but a conical 

 structure that stood upright, narrowing into a neck to clasp the lid, 

 and then widening out again. A wooden splasher in the form of a 

 cross had a pole inserted into the centre of it, and this pole stood 

 about two feet above the top of the churn, coming through a hole in 

 the lid. When churning commenced this pole or handle was 

 moved up and clown, the splasher attached to it moving through the 



