The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1869-02-05
Queen Vict0ria's Model Farm.

A correspondent of the Philadel-
phia Bulletin writes from London:
During the long drouth, when eve-
ry blade of grass was burned to dead
brown, and the cattle had no herbage
TO feed on, milk and butter were
scarce, and the famous Devonshire
clotted cream could not be found.
But we Americans went to head.
quarters. The model farm laid out
and completed under the supervision
of the late Prince consort is a mile
from Windsor Castle. At the main
lodge We received from the daughter
of the keeper a permit to visit the
dairy.
Approaching beautiful cottage, as
we supposed, in the center of large
garden, not at the bottom of a hill,
under a hazel tree, by a running
stream, we could not imagine dairy
on dry, level plain. But entering
the yestibule, lined with marble half
way, and frescoed above with beauti-
full designs, we rang a bell, which was
Immediately answered by a woman
past middle age and neatly dressed,
one of the queens favorite servants.
She ashered us into room about
thirty feet square, the roof supported
by six octagonal columns of white
marble, with richly carved capitals.
The floors were of white porcelain
tiles, the windows stained glass, bor-
dered with May blossoms, daises,
buttercups and primroses.
The floors were lined with tiles of
porcelain ofa delicate blue tint, with
rich medalions inserted of the Queen,
Prince Consort, and each of the chill.
dren. Shields, monograms of the
Royal family and bas-reliefs of agricul-
tural designs, representing the Sea
sons, completed the ornamentation OF
this exquisite model dairy. All around
the walls ran a marble table, and
through the center two long ones,
supported by marble posts, resting on
basins through which runs perpetu.
al stream of spring water.
BY this means the slabs or tables are
always cold and the temperature Of
the dairy is chill, while the white and
gilt china milk and butter dishes rest
ing on the tables are never placed in
water. We drank the delicious milk.
just brought in in bright metal buck.
cts. lined with porcelain, the Queens
monogram and crest glittering on the
brass plates ON the covers.
In the room where the butter was
made, milk skinned and strained, we
feasted our eyes on the rows of metal
porcelain lined cans of every size,
made to lock, and sent to the royal
family even as far as Scotland so
they always have good milk and but
ter. The churn was ofmetal also. and
lined with porcelain, made in TIVE
compartments. The outside chamber
surrounding the cylinder could have
warm or cold water poured in to reg
ulate the ''csming of butter" without
disturbing the cream. The lid was
screwed OH, and the stationary stand
on which the whole was turned, made
the work easy and rapid. But while
over sixty COWS are daily milked, and
as many more are out grazing, the
royal family are more than satisfied,
and the Londoners more than dissat-
isfed to see the rolls of golden butter
and cans of cream sold from the mod
el farm, for saving money for the
Rucen / know the butter is sold, for
we breakfasted on it this morning,
and we paid for 1t, not as a bribe, but
irregular market bargain at the dai
nv.