18 



MILK 



The churn for making butter was used by early tribes in Africa, 

 America, Australia, the Southsea Islands, Asia, and Europe. 

 It was not used by the Mongolian race, notably the Chinese and 

 the Japanese, and the inhabitants of northern regions with cli- 

 matic conditions unsuitable for cattle raising. 



It is difficult to imagine by what accident it was discovered 

 that the udder of wild animals might yield milk for human use. 

 Hunting was a favorite occupation in former periods, and it is 

 possible that a lactating deer trapped by a hunter was the first 

 mammal from which man obtained the food intended for its own 

 offspring. However that may be, the use of milk became general 

 among ancient peoples. The primitive method of catching milk in 

 the hollow of the hand soon gave way to the use of vessels made at 

 first of clay, but later of wood and metal as well. 



Fig. 1. Primitive earthenware churn (Benno Martiny). 



Milk products, also, were probably discovered by accident. 

 Simple beating of milk that had turned sour by standing, separated 

 butter, and this find led to the construction of simple devices for 

 the regular production of butter. 



The art of butter making originated in Asia and Europe and 

 was communicated from there to other parts of the world. The 

 tribes which were not in contact with Asiatic or European civiliza- 

 tion never learned the use of butter and still live by hunting and 

 gathering vegetables. We have no clear indication in what part 

 of Asia or Europe butter making originated. Some records seem 

 to point to Asia as the source of this art, while others seem to 

 show that cattle and horses the animals which are the chief 

 sources of milk were originally tamed by man in Europe. Per- 

 haps we come nearest the truth by assuming that cattle raising 

 and milk production started simultaneously in different localities, 



