74 THE OX AND THE DAIRY. 



Devonshire is celebrated for a delicacy prepared from the 

 milk, well known as clouted cream. In order to obtain this, 

 the milk is suffered to stand in a vessel for twenty-four hours ; 

 it is then placed over a stove or slow fire, and very gradually 

 heated to an almost simmering state, below the boiling point. 

 When this is accomplished (the first bubble having appeared), 

 the milk is removed from the fire, and allowed to stand for 

 twenty-four hours more. At the end of this time the cream 

 will have arisen to the surface, in a thick or clouted state, and 

 is removed : in this state it is eaten as a luxury ; but is often 

 converted into butter, which is done by stirring it briskly 

 with the hand, or a stick. The butter thus made, though 

 more in quantity, is not equal in quality to that procured from 

 the cream which has risen slowly and spontaneously ; and, in 

 the largest and best dairies in the vale of Honiton, the cream 

 is never clouted except when intended for the table in that 

 state. 



With respect to the South Devon breed, it appears to be 

 superior, for the dairy, to the pure North Devon ; some cows 

 being almost equal to the best short-horns in the quantity of 

 milk : these cattle are profitable also to the grazier and the 

 butcher ; but their flesh is not equal, in fineness of grain or 

 delicacy, to that of the North Devon breed. They closely 

 resemble the Herefords, and, indeed, often have white faces. 



To the east of Devonshire lie the counties of Dorsetshire 

 and Somersetshire, noted for their agricultural produce 

 Dorsetshire sends vast quantities of butter to London ; and 

 cheese is made from the skimmed milk. This cheese is most 

 esteemed when streaked with blue mould ; but it is consumed 

 almost exclusively in the county itself. The vale of Black- 

 moor is very rich, and affords pasturage to numbers of cattle : 

 these are mostly of a mixed breed, in which the strain of the 

 Devonshire prevails ; but there are also numbers of South 

 Devons. Crosses with the Durham race, and also with the 

 Hereford, are not uncommon in Dorsetshire ; the object being 

 to obtain good dairy cows, irrespective of other qualities. In 

 the more hilly districts, where the pasturage is scanty, a hardy 

 race of half long-horned cattle prevails ; these are generally 

 brindled on the sides, with a white stripe down the back, and 

 white on the under parts. This race, originally long-horned, 

 is now crossed with the Devon, and is much improved : the 

 cattle are hardy ; they fatten quickly, and the cows are good 

 milkers. 



