THE OX AND THE DA IRY. 175 



pans are cool in summer, and in winter allow of the applica- 

 tion of heat, which is often very useful to make the cream 

 rise. When leaden troughs are used they are generally fixed 

 to the wall, and have a slight inclination towards one end, 

 where there is a hole with a plug in it, by drawing which the 

 thin milk is allowed to run off slowly, leaving the cream 

 behind, which runs last through the hole into the pan placed 

 under to receive it. The milk in the pans or troughs is 

 generally four or five inches in depth, which is found most 

 conducive to the separation of the cream. The place where 

 the milk is set should have a thorough draft of air by means 

 of opposite wire windows. The sun should be carefully 

 excluded by high buildings or trees, and the floor, which 

 should always be of brick or stone, should be continually kept 

 moist in summer, that the evaporation may produce an equal 

 cool temperature. A small stove in winter is a great advan- 

 tage, provided smoke or smell be most carefully avoided, and 

 the temperature be carefully regulated by a thermometer. In 

 Switzerland men are chiefly employed to milk the cows, and 

 in all the process of the preparation of butter and cheese. 

 The women only clean the utensils, and carry green food to 

 the cows when they are kept in the stable. When the milk 

 has stood twelve hours, the finest parts of the cream have 

 risen to the surface, and if they are then taken off by a 

 skimming-dish, and immediately churned, a very delicate 

 butter is obtained ; but in general it is left twenty-four hours, 

 when the cream is collected by skimming, or the thin milk is 

 let off by taking out the plug in the troughs. All the cream 

 is put into a deep earthen jar, which should be glazed, but 

 not with lead ; stone ware is the best. More cream is added 

 every day till there is a sufficient quantity to churn, which in 

 moderate dairies is every two days. It is usual to stir the 

 cream often, to encourage a slight acidity, by which the 

 process of churning is accelerated. This acidity is sometimes 

 produced by the addition of vinegar or lemon-juice; but 

 however this may facilitate the conversion of the cream into 

 butter, the quality is decidedly injured by it, especially butter 

 which is to be salted. It has been asserted by some authors 

 that butter will not separate from the butter-milk until acidity 

 is produced, and, no doubt, there is more or less of lactic acid 

 in all butter-milk ; but perfectly fresh cream, which has stood 

 only one night and is churned early next morning, will 

 generally produce excellent butter in a quarter of an hour or 



