School: Crieve (roll number 4369)

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1. Churning

   

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   I have a churn at home it is about three feet and a half high. It is about forty inches at the bottom and thirty six inches at the top, the sides are round. It is twenty years old. The various parts of the churn are the staff the dash the lid and the jabbler. There is a handle on each side of the churn. There is a notch made on top edge of the churn, one also on the lid to correspond with the mark on churn to show best fitting position.
   Butter is made about once a week in winter, and twice a week in summer, it depends upon the quantity of milk at certain times of the year. The people of the housedo the churning. Strangers if they come in help at the work, "an old saying is "It is unlucky to come in and not take a brash at the churn", The churning takes about three-quarters of an hour, the churning is done by hand. When it is done this way the dash is moved upwards and downwards it is given a rolling motion towards the end of the work this is locally known as "rocking". The people know when the milk is churned by the appearance of it on the staff. Boiling water used in winter to raize the temperature to churning heat, cold water is added in summer to thin out the milk. Milk got without payment if it will not churn in a certain time the people say that

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. economic activities
         1. agriculture (~2,659)
            1. butter and churns (~3,280)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Lily Branyan

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Listroar, Co. Monaghan