428 FARMING FOR LADIES. [chap. xxii. 



quently employed to perform it, though, more 

 commonly, the dairy-maid, if she be a stout 

 girl, goes through the entire work of milking, 

 churning, and making the butter. On this 

 latter point, it is, however, essential that her 

 hand be perfectly cool ; for, if heated by an 

 hour's hard work, it will become too warm 

 to make up the butter with due nicety : she 

 should therefore take time to cool herself, and 

 bathe her hands in luke-warm water, after- 

 wards washing them in the refuse milk. In 

 small dairies, however, the work — although it 

 must be carried on without intermission — is 

 so slight, and the exercise so healthful, that 

 any lady, however delicate, may perform it 

 with advantage to her constitution ; indeed, 

 any child, if steady, may with ease work one 

 of the metallic churns which we have de- 

 scribed. 



In the neighbourhood of Epping, and the 

 surrounding districts, which have been so long 

 celebrated for the excellence of their butter, 

 only the first skimmings are used for that of 

 the finest quality. The manner there pur- 

 sued is as follows : — The milk, after standing 

 twenty-four hours, is then skimmed, or, as 



