228 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



ered with wire gauze, and closed in cold weather. The tem- 

 perature of the cellar is never changed by artificial means, and 

 varies with the weatlier, probably averaging from 60° to 75°. 

 The cream is skimmed in the morning from the milk set forty- 

 eight and thirty-six hours previously, (in very warm weather 

 standing thirty-six and twenty-four hours only,) and is kept, 

 after skimming, in a stone jar in the milk cellar till churned. 

 It is stirred gently but thoroughly each morning, when the new 

 cream is poured in and no salt is ever added. The churning is 

 done weekly in a thermometer churn of Nourse & Co.'s pattern. 

 This is brought as near to 62"^, by ice or water in the outer com- 

 partment, as practicable. The time occupied in churning varies 

 from five to thirty minutes in summer, and from thirty to ninety 

 minutes in winter. This churning took just half an hour, and 

 was harder to churn than usual. The buttermilk is drawn off 

 and the butter worked by hand and a wooden butter spat, till 

 the buttermilk is all out. No water is ever used or allowed to 

 come in contact with the butter at any stage. Salt is then 

 added in the proportion of about three-fourths of an ounce to 

 the pound, which best suits the taste of those who eat it, and it 

 is thoroughly worked in by hand. The butter is then allowed 

 to stand for some hours, frequently till the next day, when it is 

 again worked over as before, as long as any moisture can be 

 found on the tray. It is then stamped for use, and kept in a 

 jar in the milk cellar, frequently for weeks or months without 

 any change, owing to the thoroughness of the working out the 

 buttermilk. 



NORFOLK. 



Statement of A. W. Clieever. 



This lot of butter^is part of one week's churning. The milk 

 is strained about two inches deep, into tin pans, and set in a 

 room on the ground floor. This room is furnished with movable 

 racks for the milk to rest on, and is used for nothing but milk 

 and cream. The cream is usualPjr taken oif every morning and 

 kept in a large tin pail that will hold about five gallons. It has 

 a close-'fitting cover, and is hung in the well to cool the cream, 

 whenever it is desirable. The well is under a roof, and is fur- 

 nished with pulleys, so that forty or fifty pounds of cream or 

 butter may be lowered or raised with ease, and remain at any 



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