308 TIME FOR THE CREAM TO RISE. 



meat, bacon, vegetables of every kind, and everything 

 which could possibly create a strong odor and infect 

 the air, or impart a flavor to the milk, butter, or cheese, 

 are carefully excluded. 



The vessels in which the milk is set remain standing 

 undisturbed in their places, that the formation of cream 

 may go on without interruption. Twenty-four hours, 

 on an average, are thought to be necessary for the milk 

 to stand, during which time the cream is twice taken 

 off, once at the end of each twelve hours. The morn- 

 ing's milk is skimmed in the evening, and the evening's 

 on the next morning. But the milk always remains 

 quite still till the dairymaid thinks it time to skim, 

 which she decides by the taste. Long practice enables 

 her to judge with great certainty by this mode of trial. 

 When the cream is ripe it is taken off 

 by the dairymaid with a shallow wooden 

 skimmer, Fig. 99, in the form of a deep 

 plate, and carefully placed in a particular 

 Fi-. 99. vessel — a bucket or cream-pot. The 



cream-pot is generally washed very clean, 

 the staves very finely polished, striped with blue or 

 white outside, and held together by broad brass or 

 copper hoops, kept very bright. For closing the jar 

 they use an ashen cover, which is either simply laid 

 on by a common handle, or sometimes held on by 

 brass or copper hinges. Both cream-pot and cover 

 are always scoured quite white and clean. The cream 

 remains there till enough is got for churning, or till 

 it becomes of itself thick enough for butter. It is 

 known to be of the proper consistence for butter when 

 a long, slender, wooden spoon, thrust down into it, will 

 stand erect. When in summer the cream does not get 

 thick enough in season, they seek to hasten it by 

 putting in a little butter-milk ; but in winter the ripen- 



