Physics on the Farm

Possibly one of the most interesting tools on a farm was the cream separator.  Milk from cows was poured into the cream separator which seemed to magically separate the milk from the cream instantly.  When you look at it you wonder how can it just separate the liquid?  Here’s how:  using centrifugal force.  Who says you don’t need to know something about physics working on a farm.

Raw milk has a mix of big and small butterfat particles.  They’re held in a kind of suspension because they weigh more than other parts of the whole milk, kind of like mixing oil with water.  So, some lucky person got to stand by the cream separator and turn the handle on the side which caused the separator bowl to spin around really, really fast.  This forced the heavier milk to be pulled towards the walls of the separator while the lighter cream would collect in the middle.  Now the milk and cream could flow out of separate spouts into collection buckets.  This was way more efficient, faster, not to mention safer than having raw milk sit in a pan until the cream naturally rose to the top of the liquid.

The one in the pictures from our collection is a Vega R6 model made in Sweden.  As you can see in the picture below, the handle has “65 per min” on it. 

 

 

 

 

 

Cream separators are still used today, in fact, you can buy electric table top models for your own home.  Some old technologies really do stand the test of time. 

If you want to see a similar model in action, check out the YouTube video below.   No wonder people in by-gone years were more fit than we are today! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSHx2GckGdQ

 

The Moose Didn't Get Loose

Dating from the early 1820s, this trunk has a special feature that is unlike many other trunks; it is covered in moose hide. The label on the inside cover reads: "Pound and Tasker, Trunk, Chest, Box and Packing Case Manufacturers, No. 81 Leadenhill Street, London. Funerals performed".

 

 

The company that began as Pound & Tasker manufactured trunks and packing cases and was originally started by Henry Pound, John’s father, who established the company in 1823 with his partner Mr. Tasker.  It wasn’t until 1857 when Mr. Tasker died that John joined the business with his father and the name was changed to Henry Pound & Son.

 

 

 
John took over following his father’s death and the business soon became known as the popular John Pound & Co continuing to manufacture luggage and luxury dressing cases. The business did extremely well under John’s supervision and it soon became one of the largest of its kind in England. By 1871 John Pound & Co. boasted three factories, eight distributing warehouses, and five shops in central London. John Lulham and Percy Albert, John Pound’s sons, eventually took over the business when John became too busy with his role as Lord Mayor of London in the early 1900s.

The label in the trunk still has the company name, Pound and Tasker. Assuming they changed the labels when the company name changed it is probable that this trunk was manufactured at the beginning of the company’s time when it was under the control of Henry Pound and Mr. Tasker. The old fashioned trunk is made of wood with iron handles on both sides and dotted newspaper lining the inside. The front has a latch and lock, making it possible to secure one’s belongings. Much of the moose fur has worn off along the sides and back of the trunk, but because it seems to sit under a lot of the leather detailing, it is likely that the trunk was made this way.

So, unfortunately for this moose, it didn’t get loose but rather became a unique trunk! There are many trunks of this size in our collection, but none of the others would have made a fashion statement quite like this one.

Book Review

               Ever wonder how your favourite novel went from an edited manuscript to the beautiful bound book on the shelf at Chapters? Today novels are published at manufacturers with the latest technology and fancy machines, but at one time, like so many other things, books were bound by hand. One of the tools used in the binding process was a book press.

                We just happen to have one of these 150 pound beasts in our collection. Donated by a man from Hampton in 1972, this book press made of iron was at one time red and black with gold trim. With time its appearance has aged, but I wouldn’t doubt that it could still press a book just as well as ever. From sewing parchment to gluing paper together, book binding has come a long way, but this artifact has been useful throughout much of the progression.

             A book press doesn’t have an overly complicated job, although, without one, pages of a book may not be assembled very neatly. Book presses are used by placing the stack of papers that are to become a book ever so carefully, straight and in order, on the base of the press. The ‘T’ shaped handle (in our case) is then turned until the top plate comes down on the papers and everything is snug. The book press ensures that the pages are compressed together, but it also allows someone to work on the spine, or trim the edges of the pages without worrying if they are going to slide around. The next step could be to sew pages together, glue them, make holes for a coil, or numerous other options.

             An object that appears to be such a rugged piece actually has quite a delicate job. Next time you’re reading an old novel maybe you’ll think about all the hard work that went into, not only writing the story, but fabricating the book itself!  

http://www.ibookbinding.com/blog/what-exactly-is-a-nipping-press/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bookbinding

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMXHmXSYXso

Hooked

            Resembling the trident of the “God of the Sea”, Poseidon, this artifact is nothing short of looking fierce. Without knowing what purpose this object holds, it would be easy to mistake it for the head of a small pitchfork that had fancy prong tips, or perhaps some sort of trident. A little less impressive than a Greek God’s trident and a little more intriguing than a fancy pitchfork, this artifact is actually an eel spear.

            One of our previous posts this summer, Ahoy Captain, highlighted the sextant of Peter McKay. Not only did the sea captain’s donated belongings consist of his nautical charts and instruments, but also a large tool chest filled with various tools. One such “tool” is this eel spear. When, where, and why he used this eel spear is unknown to us, but it is quite possible that this was something he picked up along his travels.

            So what would possess people to want to spear eels? Like many things that vary among different cultures, what is considered a delicacy varies as well, and in many parts of the world eels were, and still are, considered something special to dine on. It’s possible that meals of eels aren’t as popular anymore, but many years ago it was not uncommon for these slimy, snake-like creatures to be prepared in many different ways. If the thought of swimming with eels sends a shiver down your spine, the thought of eating one must be just about unbearable.

            Perhaps the best part about this aquatic species is that they can range in size from two inches to thirteen feet long – just the thought of an eel twice the length of a tall, full-grown man is horrifying! Eels move by causing these long, slender bodies to ripple like a wave, if they reverse the direction of the wave they can easily move backwards. Due to the absence of certain fins eels really do look similar to snakes, except for the fusion of the dorsal, anal and caudal fins which run the length of their bodies like a thin, mane of fin.

            Getting back to the spear, most eel spears have some sort of notch at the end so that a long wooden pole can be attached; this one appears to have a slight curve in the metal which likely attached to a pole in some way. The extra length of a pole was needed as eels typically hang out in the muddy bottoms. A spear would be plunged into the depths of the water until it hooked onto an eel, the pointed, arrow-shaped ends then played a part in ensuring the eel wouldn’t get away before it was brought to the surface and removed. You can imagine that an eel, even a few feet long, thrashing around would put up quite a fight – the eel coming off the spear would’ve been the least of their worries.

Similar to many of our artifacts, this eel spear has a history that is so far removed from this time and culture it is hard to imagine it ever taking place. Again, it just goes to show how much has changed! And so I’ll leave you with this - blood of eels is actually toxic to humans, and if that isn’t enough to indicate that we should keep our distance than I don’t know what is…

           

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eel

http://www.journalofantiques.com/June03/hearthJun03.htm

Selective Hearing

            At first glance object 2014.002.154 resembles some sort of pipe, but upon further inspection you realize that it just can’t be a pipe. So what is the oddly shaped thing? It is one of the first versions of the fancy little pieces people now place in their ears in order to improve their hearing – a hearing aid!

Sometimes referred to as an ear trumpet, this artifact was most likely used in the 1800s and perhaps into the 1900s. The earliest record for the making and use of a similar aid is in the 1600s, with serious manufacturing beginning in the early 1800s. One man, Johann Nepomuk Mälzel, was designing ear trumpets for Beethoven around 1810. Similar to modern, electronic hearing aids that magnify sound waves for an individual, the ear trumpet would funnel the waves into its tube and allow for the sound to be louder – who knows how well these devices actually worked, especially for the severely hearing impaired!

  If there ever was a situation that the phrase ‘selective hearing’ applied to it would have had to have been when this hearing aid was in use. Unlike modern hearing aids that sit inside an individual’s ear and can typically be turned “on” or “off”, as well as have the volume changed, this aid would rely solely on someone holding it beside their head and placing the small tip into their outer ear. The excuse was surely used that someone hadn’t heard something because they hadn’t used the hearing aid, as it was too awkward or tiring to hold up to their head for a whole conversation. I probably would have opted to miss some conversations for the sake of not having to use this thing! 

          

            It is hard to imagine someone using one of these devices now, but that just goes to show another way in which our world has advanced. For everyone’s sake, it is probably good that these are no longer in use, as the improvements in technology, size and shape suggest these may not have worked the best.

http://www.hearingaidmuseum.com/gallery/Non-Electric/EarTrumpets/Long%20Trumpets/info/foldedmetal2.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ear_trumpet

Sly Fox

           When most people think of livestock they picture cows, pigs, and perhaps chickens, but not many people would consider foxes. This is likely because in recent years fox farms have not been nearly as popular as they were in the early 1900s. People have varying points of view on fox farms because the foxes were mainly bred for their fur for use in the fashion industry. It still is a part of our history, though, and so today we would like to share a bit about fox farming in the New Brunswick area with you.

            Discovered in our vault yesterday was a Canadian National Live Stock Records book that contains records for a fox farm in Millstream, New Brunswick from 1926 to 1930. It seems that the owner of the fox farm was John A. Northrup. Having seen horse and dog registration certificates, pedigree charts and sale papers, it was very surprising to find that these individual foxes had very similar papers to accompany their birth and sale.

            The first page in the book is an ‘Agreement Re Marking Foxes’ signed by Mr. Northrup on August 16^th, 1930 in Millstream, NB. The paper is addressed to the Accountant, Canadian National Live Stock Records in Ottawa, Ontario. The agreement contains details regarding the registration regulations, tattooing of foxes, and not holding certain groups responsible for any damage or loss during the marking or inspection of his ranch. The last sentence in the document, “At present my ranch contains 6 adult foxes and 10 puppies.”

            Most of the pages in the book are Ranch Records for a specific year that contain information about the puppies born and the parents. For example, a yellow 1929 page states that his female fox, Teakles, was mated on February 22^nd, 1929 with his male fox, Northrup, and their litter was born on April 15^th, 1929. The litter consisted of three male pups. Two were dark silver and their dispositions were described as “Susp”, the third was medium silver with an “OK” disposition. One was pelted, one was sold, and there is nothing listed for the third.

            It isn’t the coolest artifact in our collection to look at, but it certainly tells us a bit about the history of our area. When this book was discovered we did some searching to find more information about this time period in rural New Brunswick, and we included the link to a website that goes into the details about fox farming in the Salisbury area.

http://www.tourismnewbrunswick.ca/Products/V/Village-of-Salisbury.aspx

Butter Churn

      Imagine this. It’s the 1940s in Kings County, NB. The sun is shining, the wind is gusting a warm mid-summer breeze. The man of the farm is out on the large green tractor planting for the autumn crops. The children are all dressed up in their Sunday school clothes playing outside, running around the white picket fence that encloses their Victorian style house. Meanwhile, the mother is performing her daily chores. You might be thinking she’s sweeping the floors, or doing the dishes or hanging the clothes out to dry on this fine day. Instead she is creating a well-known, sauce, additive, and condiment that has been around for centuries. She is making butter.
      
     The picture below, for the people who are unaware, is a butter churner. Evidence for the use of butter dates back as early as 2000 BC, and there is mention of it in biblical works. One of the responsibilities the women of households had was to churn butter until it was up to perfection standards. This process consisted of 30 minutes of hard pushing and pulling of the cream with the butter stick in up and down motions.  Once the product is churned, it is then separated from the buttermilk and is ready for use. The reminder of buttermilk would also be kept for cooking purposes or to drink. 

     Butter churning has revolutionized the way we do things nowadays. It was a brilliant way to make use of cream and alter it into a new creation!