“In the first place, they deposit their Milk in Earthen-pans in their Dairy-house, and (after they have stood twelve Hours in the Summer, and double that space in the Winter) they remove them to stoves made for that purpose, which stoves are filled with hot embers; on these they remain till bubbles rise, and the Cream changes its colour, it is then deem’d heated enough, and this they call scalded Cream, it is afterward removed steadily to the Dairy, where it remains twelve Hours more, and is then skimmed from the Milk and put into a Tub or Churn, if it be put into a Tub, it is beat well with the hand, and thus they obtain Butter, but a cleanlier way is to make use of a Churn; some scald it over the fire, but then the smoke is apt to affect it, and in either case if the pans touch the fire, they will crack or fly, and the Milk and Cream be wasted.”
Dairy-women are oft times much perplex’d when churning, by having the Butter very long in coming, the cause of which I have never heard properly explain’d, some think the Cream was too cold, sometimes it is thought too hot, many observe that an irregular motion in churning prevents its coming properly, as before remark’d by Mr. Hazard, but there seems to be a more powerful chemical cause; from observing common causes, I should imagine there is an alcaline salt in old Milk, which sometimes overcomes the oily part of the Cream when agitated by the motion of churning, so as to prevent the Butter, separating in the churn, the cure for which seems to be, to reduce the alcali to a neuteral state, which effect, Acids are known to have, or at least alcalies on Acids, as is common; when Beer gets sour or much Acid, to recover it by putting a little salt of Tartar, salt of Worm-wood or any other powerful alcali into it, immediately recovers it to its usual state, and neither the acid nor alcali are perceived in the Beer, being made neuteral by their union.
I am much pleas’d to find my opinion seconded, and put in practice by an anonimous Author in the Bath Papers, who was very earnest to find out a remedy that would hasten the operation in churning, and from a very pertinent idea that led him to weigh the matter, seems to have found out the real cause of the obstruction, met with in the work, and also a remedy, which many Dairy-women will be very happy to be inform’d of, as the Author justly observes, it will shorten the Labour of many a weary Arm, and prevent much vexation to a multitude of good House-wives.
He observes, that when the operation of churning had been going forward for half a Day, he caused a little distilled Vinegar to be poured into the churn, and the Butter was produced within an Hour afterwards.
He also remarks upon the subject, that if the supposition be admitted, that the Cream of old Milk (and such is Milk for the most part in Winter,) contains much stronger alcaline salt, or at least more of it than new Milk does, then the effect of the Vinegar is readily accounted for on the known principles of Chymistry, it is an acknowledged property of alcalies to unite with oil into a saponaceous (or soapy) mass, and to render them intimately miscible with water. But it is likewise well known to chemists that there is a nearer affinity (as they Term it) a much stronger elective attraction between acids and alcalies than between alcalies and oils; consequently the acids being mixed with the Cream, immediately attaches to itself the alcaline salt, which is the bond of union, as we may call it, that holds together the oleaginous (oily) and aqueous (watery) particles, and leaves them easily separable from each other. It may perhaps be objected to this mode of practice that the acid mixing with the Cream, would render the Butter unpalatable; but this on experience I do not find to be the case, and indeed I should not my self have expected it, as the Butter is usually well washed in two or three changes of clean Water, by which the whole of the acid is carried off, or if some few particles remain, they are so few as not to be perceiv’d by the taste & perhaps have rather a desirable effect than otherwise, by acting as an antiseptic, (preventing putrefaction) and preventing the Butter from becoming rancid so soon as it otherwise would do; he adds, my experiments have not as yet ascertained the exact quantity of the acid which is necessary to produce the proper effect, nor the precise time of its being mix’d with the Cream. But I apprehend a table spoonful or two to a gallon of Cream will be sufficient; nor would I recommend it to be applied, till the Cream has undergone some considerable agitation.
After having so much interested myself in endeavouring the improvement of Dairying, I am unwilling to take my final leave of it, without adding my sincere wish, that the increase of Dairy-Farms, may meet with every encouragement from the Public, as it appears to me, a matter of the first consequence to this Nation. The price of Butter & Cheese having so much increased within a few years, makes it quite necessary to give every encouragement to the increase of Dairying, as it plainly appears, there is not near a sufficiency of those Articles for general use, and every endeavour to increase the quantity must be for the Public good, if we only consider how large a quantity of Butter is imported into England every Year, and yet the price still continues to advance; it is astonishing to think that there is annually great quantities of Grain of different kinds imported into the Kingdom, while such a prodigious quantity of Land lies waste in commons or that are of very little benefit to the community in general; also, how many thousand People (both young and old) are now unemploy’d, who might find sufficient support, if encouragement was given for improving of Land for different purposes, and growth of numerous materials which now takes our Money abroad, such as Rhubarb, Liquorish, Madder, Woad, Teasels, Flax, Hemp, &c. As a plan for improvement in Husbandry, seems much to prevail at present in this Kingdom, as if in emulation, to keep pace with the Arts, and ingenuity discoverable in many of our capital Manufactures in the present Age, so superior to those of former times and which are still improving in a very great degree, so from the various Societies connected in different parts of this Kingdom, for the benefit and improvement of Agriculture, great knowledge is acquired and made Public for the general advantage of community, and if the same spirit would animate Gentlemen in common, who doubtless are the people that will receive the greatest advantage from the inclosure of commons, it would be a noble example, and discover a true patriotic spirit, if they would undertake the improvement of the Lands, which may be inclos’d, and who have it more in their power, especially where small Farms are necessary, (than the peasant to whom they may be let, and who, when they are made useful can perhaps best employ them for the Public good,) they would then be well repaid for their trouble, be setting a noble example to posterity, making a fortune for their Family, at the same time they are enabling numbers to gain a livelihood by their means, and what is there in Life that would more endear them to their Country, than such a benevolent disposition. I have not a doubt but the proportion of large Farms throughout this Kingdom is too great for the small ones, and if the inclosure of commons should take place, there would be a proper opportunity to equalize them, by making a larger number of small Farms of different degrees, from 20 Acres to 50, from 50 to 100 and from 100 to 150, for tho’ it is from large Farms, that our principal supply of provisions must arise, yet it certainly is from the small Farms that our Markets are chiefly supply’d with the common necessaries, such as Butter, Eggs, Fowls, Pigs, Pigeons, Fruit and many other common necessaries of human Life, and the more small and moderate siz’d Farms there are, the better will all Markets be supplied. I have not a doubt but if Gentlemen would undertake the management of new enclosures, great improvement might be made from the Horse-hove, and drill Husbandry so much commended by many of the Bath Society correspondents, as well as those of Arthur Young, Esq.; and from the advantage proposed thereby of improving Land by those methods, with very little manure, if Gentlemen would thoroughly adopt that method upon a large scale of practice, doubtless it would become universal, and from the great quantity of Seed proposed to be saved by this method, and a larger crop produced, must in the end be a very great advantage to this Nation; many may object, that the inclosed commons, will very little of it become Dairy-Land for a considerable time; yet it will certainly come in, in time, and the more Arable Land is brought into use, certainly the greater proportion of Grass Land may be spared for the Dairy. One great impediment to inclosures is the great expence of Acts of Parliament, this might be remedied in a great measure, if Government would grant one general Act for inclosing commons throughout the Kingdom, under the direction of County Committees, which might be appointed for that purpose at a moderate expence, and fully answer the design, but as a hint at the improvement, is the only thing I can advance toward it, yet, like the Widows mite, I would not with hold it, as it may encourage more capable Persons to take it in hand.
SOME ACCOUNT,
OF
Noxious, Bitter, and Poisonous,
PLANTS.
Ribwort, ribbed grass, black plantain or cock plant; this plant may not properly be ranged among bitter plants, it not being bitter to any great degree, but I have often thought upon examination, that the bitterness in some Cheese more resembles the taste of this plant and dandelion than any other whatsoever, and in barren soils they are apt to prevail more than any other.