368 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



I'OREWORD. 



The investigations of the keeping quaUties of butter were begun only 

 after much hesitation, lest they prove fruitless. However, after collecting 

 the experiences of many cold storage men, learning of the difficulties en- 

 countered in handling butter made from collected cream, gaining some 

 knowledge of the methods employed in the manufacture of butter, such as 

 the incorporation of large amounts of starter in well washed butter, and 

 listening to complaints from diverse sources as to butter purity, the prob- 

 lem appeared tempting, especially in the light of the paucity of system- 

 atic and fundamental knowledge available from the many sporadic research 

 efforts touching this field of investigation. In order, therefore, to secure 

 results which may be of the greatest utility to the farmer, the butter man- 

 ufacturer, and the buyer who endeavors to hold butter in cold storage or 

 otherwise for a rising market, only a systematic study, beginning at the very 

 foundation, appeared seductive to the research man, and at the same time 

 profitable to the men interested commercially. With this idea in mind 

 the work for the past year has been conducted solely with an objective 

 point to secure the proper basic data upon which to construct the specific in- 

 vestigations. This bulletin does not attempt to solve problems, but rather 

 to furnish information for the specific problems which must be attacked 

 bafore the question of the keeping qualities of butter may be understood 

 satisfactorily. 



The authors have striven to present the results of their work in such a 

 form as to be most accessible, not only to themselves in their future re- 

 searches, but to other investigators who may be A\'ishing to take up sim- 

 ilar problems. 



Charles E. Marshall. 



