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Swivel headed Churn Staff, 



Read December 14, 1813. 

 Belmont^ December 6, 1813, 



Dear Sir, 



In my observations on Mr. Peale^s letter, page 248, 

 249, of this volume, I mention the subject of butter. 

 I mistook the book throuerh which the information re- 

 specting a " swivel headed churn staff,''^ was conveyed 

 to me. It is not an *' agricultural work ;" but '* JVz- 

 cholsori's Journal of Natural Philosophy ^'''^ &c. In vol. 

 26, article viii, the description and account of the 

 churn staff will be seen. I have had much difficulty in 

 getting a churn and staiF made ; because it was un- 

 common, and not an object of gain ; for the churn and 

 staff, large enough to churn twelve or fifteen pounds 

 of butter, cost but one dollar and fifty cents. I promis- 

 ed " to give a fair experiment." This I have done ; 

 and can decidedly confirm what is said by Mr. Fisher; 

 who received a premium for his invention, from the 

 London Society of Arts. See Nicholsoti's Journal, vol. 

 26. August, 1810, page 296. 



It facilitates the process of butter-making, superior 

 to any other churn, the barrel churn included. A child 

 of five years old, can work my churn, for a short time, 

 wdth no difficulty ; as I have found, by actual experi- 

 ment. It performs the operation in one third less time, 

 with a like quantity of cream, than the barrel churn ; 

 and with much less labour. I find Mr. Fisher's obser- 

 vation, that " it must be worked much slower than the 



