The Probert Encyclopaedia of General Information

CHURN

A churn is a vessel in which milk or cream is agitated or beaten in order to separate the liquid from the solids, thereby leaving butter. Originally churns consisted of an upright wooden vessel in which the milk was agitated by a pole with a wooden disk at the lower end (known as a dasher). By the late 19th century churns were being made of metal, and were generally circular and fitted with rods inside known as dashers. Two methods of agitation were employed, sometimes the vessel was turned by way of a handle, and sometimes the dashers inside were turned by way of a handle.
Research Churn