Account of a Corn shelling Machine, 24^ 



The name of the inventor of the com shelling 

 machine, I have just understood, is John Haven, of 

 Montgomery county. 



am procuring to be made, a churn^ with a staff, to which is attach- 

 ed, on a pivot at the lower end, an horizontally and rapidly turning 

 dasher^ with four arms or vanes, like those operated on by wind. 

 In the up and down strokes, the dasher moves in contrary direc- 

 tions. This is said, in an agricultural work, from which I took the 

 drawing, to be the easiest and most expeditious mode of churning 

 the butter, by exposing the greatest number of particles to oxige- 

 nalion, in the shortest time. I shall give to it a fair experiment. 



In some parts of Eur o fie ^ the new milk is churned. But I should 

 presume our usual mode is preferable. By the standing of the milk 

 in the pans, the cream (which contains the oil) rises, and is separa- 

 ted. The albuminous, gelatinous, and watery parts begin to sepa- 

 rate in the cream pot, if left to stand a reasonable time ; and acidu- 

 lation (not acetous) forwards the process. Oxigenation commences 

 before the agitation in the churn takes place ; and a portion of the 

 work is anticipated. In the severe weather of winter, difficulties 

 sometimes occur in churning. In addition to immersing part of the 

 churn in hot water, one or two spoonfuls of sharp vinegar^ mixed 

 with the cream in the churn, are very efficacious. The separation 

 of the oil is thus promoted ; without, in the least, affecting the but- 

 ter. The vinegar, as do all acids and spirituous liquors, combines 

 with the ivhey ; — alkalies and rennet enter the curds, 



Soafij mischievously slipt into a churn, prevents the cream ever 

 making butter. Jlkalies are as destructive, as acetous acids are salu- 

 tary. See Bath Society Memoirs, 3d vol. 2d ed. 309. 1788. Where, 

 probably, I picked up the information respecting vinegar. The 

 writer used Ci\s\\\\^(\. vinegar ; but any good vinegar will answer. 

 The quantity is arbitrary ; and if too little be used at first, it must 

 be increased. He recommends a table spoon full to a gallon ; after 

 the cream has been considerably agitated. I have not been nice, ei- 

 ther as to quantity or time. R, Peters, 



VOL. III. I i 



