Report on the Dairy-Farming of the North-west of France. 299 
head, and intended to be used as a ventilator if necessary, and 
a spigot placed in the bulge midway between the two large 
openings of a large churn, or opposite the large opening of a 
small one. This spigot plays an important part in the process 
of butter-making. 
The churn is about half-filled with cream at a temperature, 
more frequently guessed at than tested, of about 57° Fahr., and 
the best butter-makers do not churn at a greater pace than 
from 30 to 40 revolutions per minute, according to the season.* 
As a rule, the butter comes in from 20 to 30 minutes, and the 
churner listens most attentively so as to detect in jin instant 
the slightest alteration in the sound of the churning cream. 
An alteration being detected, or even being thought to be 
detected, the churn is at once stopped, in such a position that 
the spigot is at about the level of the cream in the churn. The 
spigot is then carefully withdrawn, and the adherent matter mi- 
nutely examined. If this is still cream the churning is renewed 
and the sound carefully attended to ; but if, on the contrary, 
there are particles of butter on the spigot, no larger even than 
a pin's head, the churning proper is finished. A quarter of a 
turn of the handle now brings the spigot to its lowest point 
(nearest the ground), and immediately beneath it is placed a 
sieve over a vessel to receive, or over a conduit to carry away, the 
butter-milk. The spigot being then slightly drawn out, the butter- 
milk escapes and filters through the sieve, which retains even the 
smallest particle of butter which may be carried out with the 
butter-milk. W hen most of the butter-milk has thus been with- 
drawn from the churn, the small quantity of escaped butter 
is replaced in it, and fresh spring water is also put into the 
churn until it is half-full. Three or four turns are then given, 
and the mixture of water and butter-milk is again withdrawn 
as before. This process is repeated, often seven or eight times, 
until the water which comes out of the churn is as bright and as 
clear as when it was put into it. 
These various washings and turnings completely cleanse the 
butter from the butter-milk from which it had been separated 
during the process of churning, and at the same time they con- 
solidate gradually the particles which have been individually 
thoroughly scoured. At the end of the process the butter may 
be seen floating as one mass in a small lake of clear water. 
W hen removed from the churn by means of large wooden spoons 
or spatulae, the butter requires no more working than is sufii- 
cient to consolidate it and express the particles of clear water 
from its interstices. The butter thus made goes direct to Paris, 
* Compare tlie Eeport of the Judges on the Trials of Dairy Appliances at 
Bristol, aupi d p. 143. 
