I4 THE BUTTER INDUSTRY IN UNITED STATES [238 



a new churn every ten or twelve days for more than sev- 

 enty years. 



The churning of butter on the farm is usually done by 

 hand. Frequently, however, other power is used, especially 

 water power. In some sections of the country it has been 

 customary to hitch a dog, a sheep, a heifer, or a horse to 

 a tread-wheel or other device to furnish power for churn- 

 ing. 1 



Before the invention of the separator, cream was, of 

 course, raised exclusively by gravity. When this method 

 is used the milk is placed in vessels and left undisturbed 

 for several days. During this time the cream or fat con- 

 tent rises to the surface. The fat of the milk rises because 

 it is considerably lighter than the water content. On farms 

 especially favored with a spring or a little stream of fresh 

 and pure water in close proximity to the farmhouse, the 

 dairy products were usually kept in spring houses. States 

 with a topography like Vermont are especially favored with 

 numerous cold springs. The use of the spring-house has, 

 therefore, been quite common in these sections of the coun- 

 try, notably in New England and in some of the Middle 

 Atlantic states. On farms where the spring-house could 

 not be built, deep cellars were dug. Where the gravity 

 system is still used, milk is placed in the spring-house or 

 cellar, and after all the cream has risen it is skimmed. 

 When a sufficient quantity of cream accumulates it is 

 churned into butter. Where the hand-separator is used all 

 the work connected with the setting of cream is of course 

 eliminated; but if the farmer makes his own butter he still 

 finds use for the spring-house or cellar. Some farmers pro- 

 vide themselves with ice. 



During the early part of the nineteenth century many 



1 Vide, X. A. Willard. Practical Dairy Husbandry. 



