164 
Dairying  in  Denmark. 
ice,  so  as  to  keep  the  milk  at  a temperature  under  40°  F. 
Next  morning  the  milk  is  carefully  skimmed,  and  the  cream  is 
turned  into  a deep  can,  and  warmed  up  to  about  63°  F.,  more 
or  less,  according  to  the  temperature  of  the  milk-cellar.  In 
winter  the  cream  is  warmed  up  to  as  much  as  65°  F.  Then,  as 
the  cream  has  been  taken  off  the  milk  in  a perfectly  sweet  con- 
dition, as  much  as  5 per  cent,  weight  of  buttermilk  is  added  to 
it,  for  the  purpose  of  starting  vigorously  the  “ souring  ” of  the 
cream.  The  temperature  of  the  cream  is  afterwards  kept  low 
by  immersing  the  cream-can  in  a cold-water  bath,  in  which  it 
remains  covered  up  for  twenty-four  hours,  and  when  put  into 
the  churn  it  has  a temperature  of  only  51J°  F.  (8£°  R.). 
Churning  begins  at  5.30  A.M.,  and  is  done  in  an  ordinary 
Holstein  churn  of  small  size,  but  fitted  with  a plug  at  the 
bottom,  the  use  of  which  will  be  presently  seen.  The  churning 
is  done  by  two  of  the  girl-pupils,  who  turn  the  handle  fifty-five 
to  sixty  times  per  minute — a speed  which  corresponds  with 
double  the  number  of  revolutions  of  the  dasher  inside  the  churn. 
The  butter  comes  in  about  forty  minutes,  and  the  churning  is 
arrested  as  soon  as  examination  shows  that  the  butter  has  formed 
little  seed-like  granules — the  smaller  the  better.  But  it  would 
indicate  great  inattention,  and  cause  a serious  depreciation  of 
quality,  if  the  butter  were  churned  into  particles  larger  than  a 
grain  of  mustard-seed. 
The  butter  having  thus  “ come,”  the  churn  and  its  contents 
are  lifted  on  to  a table,  this  cumbrous  method  being  necessary 
in  consequence  of  the  shape  and  construction  of  the  upright 
Holstein  churn.  The  part  of  the  base  of  the  churn  in  which 
the  plug  already  mentioned  is  situated  overhangs  the  edge  of 
the  table,  so  that  it  may  be  partially  withdrawn  to  let  out  the 
buttermilk.  This  being  done,  and  the  buttermilk  received  in 
a can  through  a hair-sieve,  which  arrests  any  small  particles  of 
butter  that  may  escape  with  it,  the  churn  is  partially  filled  with 
clear  cold  water,  which  is  withdrawn  in  the  same  manner  as  the 
buttermilk.  This  process  is  repeated  four  times,  and  the  last 
water  comes  out  of  the  churn  nearly  as  clear  as  it  was  when  put 
into  it.  The  butter  is  thus  thoroughly  cleansed  of  its  butter- 
milk, and  is  besides  consolidated  into  one  firm  mass  of  granules. 
It  is  then  taken  out  of  the  churn  with  wooden  patters,  and,  after 
being  left  to  drain  for  five  minutes,  is  still  further  consolidated 
to  express  the  water  remaining  in  the  interstices  between  the 
granules,  this  being  done  always  with  the  patters,  so  that,  in 
fact,  the  butter  is  never  touched  with  the  hand.  It  is  then  placed 
in  a trough,  in  one  or  several  lumps  according  to  the  quantity 
made,  covered  over  with  a clean  cloth,  and  left  for  an  hour 
to  become  firm,  ice  being  used  in  summer  to  facilitate  this 
