American Milk- Condensing Factories. 
147 
tested from time to time, was more even and lower than in the 
other churns. In some districts the large dash churn is con- 
structed with a hoop at the top to receive the churn cover. This 
causes considerable trouble in cleansing, as particles of cream 
and milk are liable to work down between the hoop and staves, 
thereby becoming foul, unless extra care and labour be taken in 
cleansing. In the Orange County factories a part of the staves 
are cut away to receive the churn cover, thus doing away with 
the cumbersome hoops, and rendering the churn neater in ap- 
pearance, and more easily cleaned. 
In washing the butter another little device is used, which 
appeared to me to be a decided improvement over the old 
method. The batch of butter, or the " churning," say of about 
twenty to twenty-five pounds in weight, is laid upon the butter- 
worker, and water applied from a sprinkler or small watering- 
pot. It is provided with a rose nozzle so as to distribute the 
water over the mass in numberless small streams. The watering- 
pot is held with the left hand, and the butter worked with the 
right hand at the same time, by applying the lever, going rapidly 
over from one side of the mass to the other. 
The butter being on the inclined slab or bed-piece of the 
butter- worker, the butter-milk flows off readily, and by a few 
movements of the lever the butter-milk is expelled. When the 
water flows from the mass without being discoloured the process 
of washing is completed. The cut (Fig. 18) illustrates the 
sprinkler, and it should be of 
small size or no larger than can 
be conveniently handled with 
the left hand in the manner 
above described. 
The water, falling in a spray 
over the whole surface of the 
butter, cools it and gives the 
proper degree of hardness for 
working with the lever, a 
point of considerable import- 
ance, especially in hot weather. 
When the butter-milk has been 
expelled, the butter is ready for salting, and the butter- worker is 
used for incorporating the salt evenly through the mass. 
Considerable discussion has recently arisen about the use 
ol saltpetre in butter, some holding that it cannot be healthful 
even though employed in small quantities, that it adds nothing 
ito the flavour or quality of the butter, that it has no preserving 
iproperties, and hence should be banished from the dairy by all 
good butter-makers. VV'ithout entering upon an elaborate dis- 
L 2 
Fig. 1%.— The Butter- Sprinkler. 
li 
