CHAP. III. 



DAIRY UTENSILS. 



265 



shallow vessels of a peculiar shape, handy construction, and freely 

 admitting the air. A part of the author's plan was to have a fire in 

 the dairy whenever it was required ; and he was informed that when a 

 thunderstorm was seen approaching, instead of keeping the milk cool, 

 a fire was at once lighted, and steam got up, to drive out the additional 

 quantity of moisture. That might be a curious proceeding ; hut he 

 could readily understand it. It was the damp, moist, heavy air that 

 spoiled the milk. Remove thpt air by any means, and the milk would 

 keep. It was of the utmost importance to have a dry air in the dairy ; 



Fig. 59. " Charlemont Diaphragm" Churn. 



and they could now understand why good dairymen always kept the 

 floor as dry as possible. When a thunderstorm approached, the air 

 generally became saturated with moisture, and that moisture had a 

 great deal to do with spoiling the milk. If, however, they drove off 

 the moisture, and with it the excess of water, the milk would keep ; so 

 that even in hot weather, when a thunderstorm occurred, an additional 

 fire would preserve the milk good. The fact was a curious and 

 instructive one." 



Slate makes very good milk-coolers, and in some of the midland 

 counties the common flag-slate is employed for this purpose. But, 

 were it not for their fragility, glass and Wedgwood ware would be 

 unrivalled. 



