238 
m'cormick’s reaping-machine. 
subject have already appeared in both our last and 
present volumes. Mr. McW., we see, differs 
slightly in his process of making butter from those 
before described, by adding cold water to the milk 
when poured into the churn, and commencing 
churning it at a lower temperature than usual. 
This must certainly increase the labor of bringing 
the butter, and we should like to know of him, 
whether if is compensated by superior quality, or 
an additional quantity. The richer milk is, the 
sooner butter comes, and we have often thought in 
butter-dairy districts, more attention should be paid 
to the quality of the milk than the quantity; for 
it is something of a consideration to the dairyman 
to have his butter come with as little labor as pos¬ 
sible, and if as good a quality and as much in 
quantity can be had in fifteen minutes’ churning as 
in two hours, it will amount in the aggregate to a 
great saving of labor. We wish, sincerely, that a 
series of experiments might be made between the 
better and poorer qualities of milk ; for certain it 
is, if a cow which gives 10 to 12 quarts per day 
makes as many pounds of butter as another that 
gives 16 to 18 quarts, both consuming the same 
quantity of food, inasmuch as the milk of the for¬ 
mer would churn to butter sooner than that of the 
latter, she should be preferred as a butter-cow, un¬ 
less the extra quantity of butter-milk from the lat¬ 
ter made up the difference in value of the labor in 
churning and milking. 
Scotchtown, Jan. 3d, 1844. 
Dear Sir: Having received your note of October 
20th, wishing me to give a minute description of the 
process of my way of making butter, I cheerfully 
comply with your request. Willing to give what 
little information I am in the possession of, and 
hoping to get more information from the state¬ 
ments of several of our best butter-makers which 
you propose publishing. My farm consists of 103^ 
acres of land, 85 of which is under cultivation. In 
my dairy I keep from eighteen to twenty cows. 
The farm is elevated land suitable for grazing; 
the north end is the principal meadow. The 
buildings are placed near the centre of the farm, 
and from these the land gradually descends to the 
south. The southern part is watered with springs, 
the middle with wells and springs. The north 
with springs and a never-failing stream of water. 
Our practice is not to chum the milk until it be¬ 
comes thick or loppered, the milk and cream is 
then churned together. The temperature of the 
milk is about 50 degrees. In warm weather about 
a quart of cold water is put in each pan before 
the milk is strained, so as to keep it sweet as lonp- 
as possible. The cellar-floor is brick. This in 
warm weather is daily cleansed with cold water. 
A drain from the cellar carries off the water thus 
applied. The churn is filled about half full with 
milk, with the addition of two pails of cold water 
before starting the churn. In cold weather the 
same quantity of warm water is applied. When 
the churning is finished, which usually occupies 
about two hours of time, there are then two more 
pails of cold water applied to raise the butter and 
cool it. The butter is then taken out of the churn 
and put in a large tray, this is immediately filled 
with cold water and the butter carefully washed ; 
after which the^vater is thrown off. The butter 
now undergoes the process of salting, it is then 
placed in a cool situation where it stands about an 
hour, and worked carefully over. This finished it 
is placed in the same situation as before, where it 
stands three or four hours, and is again worked 
over; again replaced for five or six hours,, when 
it is worked over for the third time. It is now re¬ 
placed, where it stands till the next morning and 
worked over for the fourth time. A small quan¬ 
tity of nitre is then put in the butter. Thus fin¬ 
ished it is placed in firkins holding about 85 lbs. 
Previous to packing, the firkin is scalded with hot 
water, rinsed and cooled with cold water, then 
rubbed all around with fine salt; this prevents the 
butter from adhering to the sides of the firkin. 
When the firkin is full, a linen cloth is placed 
over the top of the butter ; on this cloth a cover¬ 
ing of salt is put one inch deep, and cold water 
enough added to it to form a brine. It then stands 
till it is to be sent to market when the cloth and 
salt are removed, the firkin turned down, the top 
of the butter in the keg washed with cold water 
and the pickle drained off. The firkin is now 
neatly headed up and sent to market. 
George S. McWilliams 
McCORMICK’S REAPING-MACHINE. 
We have never seen this Reaper in operation, 
but understand that it is highly approved of and 
quite in demand in Virginia where it was invent¬ 
ed. We have been shown certificates from sev¬ 
eral eminent practical farmers there, expressing 
their satisfaction of its performance on their plan¬ 
tations. Mr. McCormick is now on a tour in this 
state, for the purpose of introducing it into our 
large wheat-growing counties, and will proceed 
west as far as Michigan and Illinois on the same 
errand, and we trust the farmers in that quarter 
will give it a fair trial. So long as crops come 
in so abundantly, we must expect the prices of 
produce to rule low ; it behooves the agriculturist, 
therefore, to avail himself of all possible improve¬ 
ments in culture and harvesting; he will thus be 
enabled to successfully compete with the foreign¬ 
er, and supply distant nations cheaper than any 
other country can do. If prices fall we must en¬ 
deavor to grow our products at less cost. 
New York , July 5th, 1844. 
I herewith transmit cuts of my Reaping-Ma¬ 
chine, together with a description of the same. 
Description. —e, the tongue; s, tongue-post, fig. 
2.—c, yoke, fig. 1 .—y, front brace; f, d , hounds, 
fig. 1 .—e, q, g, wheel-post, fig. 2.—s, wheel-brace, 
fig. 2.— j, short reel-post, fig. 2. — a, platform, fig. 
2.— a, out-joint piece, fig. 2.— k , small wheel-piece, 
fig. 1.—e, e, cloth-posts, fig. 1.—v, t, teeth ; l, 
false-divider, fig, 2.—j, long reel-post; k, platform- 
brace ; z, side-board, fig. 2.—x, wheel-cap, fig. 1. 
— h, bough, fig. 1 .—b, divider, fig. 1.— h, dividing- 
iron, fig. 2 —m, main ground-wheel, fig. 1 .—k, 
small ground-wheel : n, master cog-wheel; f, pin¬ 
ion, fig. 2 .—q, beviled-wheel;. r, fly-wheel; w, 
reel-shaft, fig. 1.—u, reel-pully; w, w. &e., reel- 
ribs. 
