NEW engl<aj:¥d farmer. 



PUBLISHED BY GEO. C. BARRETT, NO. 52, NORTH MARKET STREET, (AT THE AGRICULTURAL WAREilOUSE.)_THS. G.FESSENDEN, EDITOR. 



VOX., zzxx. 



B0ST02T, 'WSSZTSSOil-a' SVESUXNG, JA3!nja.mr 7, 1834. 



mo. 26. 



For the New England Farmer. 



DAIRY, &c. 



[Continued from p. 103.] 



17TX1IISIL.S JVECESSARY FOR ]HIt.K. 



In this class of utensils are comprised those nc- 

 essary for milking, straining and transportation oi 

 nilk. Liglit white wooden piggins, well hooped, 

 re most commonly used for milking ; they have 

 ne stave longer than the others, and pierced hy a 

 lole at the top, to pass the hand through, to carry 

 be pail. It should he deeper than it is wide, am' 

 mailer at the hottom than at the top. 



Some persons use copper buckets. Although 

 :ie short time the milk remains in the pails, espo- 

 ially as it does not become cold, may not allow 

 ie formation of any unwholesome combination, 

 et the use of wooden pails is preferable, as the 

 lightest neglect might occasion accidents with the 

 op|)er. 



The milk is strained through a hair sieve to 

 3parate from it all hair and dirt. In some prov- 

 ices, a cullender is substituted for the sieve ; it.-s 

 )rm is that of a howl without a bottom ; the ma- 

 irial is comnjon clay or wood ; to strain the milk, 

 ley place upon this a white linen perfectly dry. 

 'his answers very well ; and is preferable to the 

 eve, because the hair of that article gets broken 

 I a few days, whilst the linen of the strainer can 

 3 taken off every time and washed separately, 

 'he vessels for containing the milk vary in form 

 ;i,virdmg to its deaiiiia'tioc. We shiul piesci.'.i^ 

 lention those used for making butter. 



The vessels destined for the transportation of 

 lilk should be of tin, since wise regulations have 

 rohibited as dangerous the use of copper utensils, 

 his prohibition has met with great opposition 

 om dairy-women, who have remarked that milk 

 seps better in copper. This fact, justified hy the 

 cperience of Cadet Devaux, is also, according to 

 ni, a reason for excluding ir, since this preserv- 

 g quality only proves the dissolution of a por- 

 5n of the metal, and it is known what danger 



incurred from copper dissolved by a greasy sub- 

 ance. The vessels are higher than they are large, 

 id smaller at the top than at the bottom. This 

 rm delays the rising of the cream, and conse- 

 leiitly preserves the milk longer in its homogen- 

 y. It is still more essential that these vessels 

 lould be of an unalterable substance, as general- 

 , in order to hasten the departure the next morn- 

 g, the milk is turned into them the evening pre- 

 iding, and consequently remains there all night. 

 Although this custom is not universal, it is ur- 

 mt to destroy it, as it is a bad one. The milk, 

 ling in repose during the night, decomposes, or 



least its essential parts separate, and the cream 

 ies upon the surface of the liquid. To obviate 

 1 much as possible this inconvenience, the milk 

 istined for daily sale should be left in the even- 

 g in ordinary |)ots, and in the morning well stir- 

 d up to mingle it ; after which it may bs turned 

 to the proper vessels. 



The same utensils are needed for making butter 

 at we have just mentioned, with the exception 

 ' those of tin ; beside these are requisite some for 

 e rising of the cream, and others for churning 

 e butter. The vessels, most favorable for the 

 sing of the cream, are those which are small at 



bottom and widening towards the top. The pro- 

 portions, generally ado))ted in the best kept dairies 

 are about 15 inches in diameter at the top, and six 

 at the bottom, and the same in height. These 

 pro|)ortions are the most favorable for the slow 

 ;iiid gradual cooling of the milk, and for the com- 

 plete separation of the cream, wdiich gathers easily 

 at the surface. .In too large a vessel, and in one 

 with much dejjth, the cream being only a simple 

 pellicle dries quickly, and acquires a sharpness, 

 because it offers too large a surface to the air. 

 These pans should be of free-stone, and not of 

 glazed earth. The varnish employed for earthen- 

 ware does not possess sufficient insolubility to use 

 these vases with security. The pans should have 

 a spout for the milk to run out. Some are perfor- 

 ated at the bottom. The hole is closed when the 

 milk is turned into the pan, and unclosed when it 

 is to be turned off and separated from the cream. 

 We should however recommend in preference the 

 use of pans with a spout, because they are more 

 convenient, and the cork used for the others might 

 communicate a bad taste, unless it should be often 

 renewed and kept very clean. 



When the cream has risen, it is taken off with 

 a skimmer, which is moved carefully over the sur- 

 face of the milk. Some persons wait until the 

 milk is curdled, before they take off the cream ; 

 but it should be remembered that the constituent 

 parts of milk separate easily, when in a state of 

 fi-o.at. Olid cii'inge fiuirkly. The wisest plan, i.s 

 to work with the greatest celerity, so as to avoid 

 the fermentation and decomposition of the parts 

 •which are to be preserved ; thus directly after the 

 cream has completely risen, it should be taken off, 

 and it will be all the better for it. There should 

 be also pans to hold the cream until it is ready to 

 be churned. 



The implements for making butter vary, as do 

 all others, according to the country, and the neces- 

 sity of making a greater or less quantity. In 

 country houses, as well as in small dairies, the 

 churn is generally adopted. This is composed of 

 two parts. One is the churn properly so called. 

 It is a kind of truncated cone, made with staves ; 

 it is smaller at the top than at the bottom. In- 

 tended to receive the cream which is to be churn- 

 ed, it generally has four hoops, at the bottom, the 

 middle and the top. Flat ones are generally pre- 

 ferred to the half round ones employed for hoop- 

 ing casks — as they last a longer time, and are more 

 easily kept clean, while the first retains the drops 

 of cream, and contracts consequently a sour taste, 

 which it is diiiicult to remove, and taints the churn. 

 It has a lid which closes tightly but is movable. 

 This lid is pierced in the middle with a round hole, 

 for the dasher to pass through. This ia the sec- 

 ond part : it is composed of a stick, at the end of 

 which is fixed a small piece of wood, pierced with 

 many holes, and of smaller diameter than the en- 

 trance of the churn. The stick or handle is long 

 enough to touch the bottom of the churn while it 

 passes through the lid. 



In large farms, the quantity of butter made is 

 so great that the churn is not used. Instead, what 

 is called a " serene" is used. This is a large cask, 

 hooped with wood or with copper (red.) Its di- 

 mensions vary ; with one, three feet long by two 



and a half ilrdi^i.jeter, a hundred pounds of butter 

 can be made at once. The cask is placed upon a 

 horse, and of a convenient height to turn it easily. 

 It turns by means of a pivot and winch, fixed in 

 the horse one on one end and the other opposite, 

 by iron crns:-^es ; these are fastened upon Uie staiui 

 or horse, that the axle-tree may not pass through 

 the cask, in liie interior of v.hich iron should not 

 be admitteLl. When the "serene" is large, it has 

 two winches, one at each end, that it may be turn- 

 ed by several persons. 



In the inside of the " serene" are two shelves, 

 about 4 inches large, and which are fa.s!( ned to 

 the staves of the barrel ; they are ranged from 

 one end of the barrel to the other, and are sloped 

 at the end, Ut let the milk run off. In the middle 

 of the barrel is an opening of six inches : This 

 serves to poi.r in the cream, and take out the but- 

 ter. It is closed by a stopper covered witii white 

 linen, which is fi,xed down tight by an iron plug. 

 There is another hole on the opposite side, about 

 an inch in size, closed by a stopper ; this serves 

 to let the .uttermilk run out, when the churning 

 is finished, and to introduce fresh water. 



In the large farms of Holland, of Flanders, and 

 of Switzerland, where they make a great quantily 

 of butter, they use another kind of " serene" diirer- 

 ing from th.s in having the barrel immovable, the 

 cream beii:^; agitated by wooden flies, set in mo- 

 tion by oii axle-tree, which runs through it, and to 

 which i < XI 1 n vvincii ; this i.s the bjst method. 

 The iiarnii may be oi aiij sWp : it is nlac.<"i; noon .< 

 solid stand, that it may not move when the winch 

 is turning. This is set into the axle-tree of a 

 hand-mill of four wings, wliicli touch within an 

 inch the staves of the barrel ; tliis axlo-trfo bears 

 against the stave in the centre of the side opposite 

 the winch, and enters into a bracket wliich pre- 

 vents its getting disarranged. This barrel has, as 

 well as the other "serene" an aperture for the in- 

 troduction of the cream, and one to turn in the 

 water. 



Still another " serene" is made use of, similar 

 to the first of which we have spoken — but without 

 winch or pivot. It is fastened upon a curved 

 stand, like the rockers of a cradle ; and tin- butter 

 is churned by moving it backwards and forwards. 

 It does not appear that the form of the ariicles in 

 which butter is made has any influence upon it.s 

 quality, which depends, as we have before said, 

 upon their cleanliness and upon the cream. The 

 English, who instead of a round cask make it in 

 a square box, obtain it quite as easily as in any we 

 \in\e described. Consequently, when chousing a 

 churn, the preference should be given to that 

 which works the quickest, is the most convenient, 

 and most easily taken care of. 



The vertical churn, which we described the first, 

 is sufficient when but little butter is required — but 

 its operation is long and fatiguing. It is true it 

 can be rendered less so : different means hiive been 

 contrived for this, and are employed in some 

 countries. Sometimes, it is an elastic peich, fas- 

 tened to the staves, which facilitates the motion of 

 tlie dasher. Sometimes it is merely an axle-tree 

 and winch, with a wing ; or it is set in m ]tion by 

 machinery like that of a roasting-jack: tley like- 

 wise adapt to it a tambour wheel, in whch they 



