Nw. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGKICULTUKE. 597 



the cream, and too great care can not be taken to have perfect con- 

 trol of this delicate process. Food also exercises some iutluence. 

 The flavors that are objectionable in butter may come from food, 

 from the absorption of bad odors by the milk or cream, from the 

 action of undesirable forms of bacteria and from excessive amounts 

 of buttermilk retained in the butter. 



(2.) Texture. — The texture of butter refers to what is called the 

 grain and depends upon the condition of the butter granules. lo 

 its flrst formation in churning, butter appears in very small, irregu- 

 lar grains or granules. These grains retain their individuality 

 throughout the rest of the process of butter-making and even in 

 the finished product. The more distinct we can keep the individu- 

 ality of the granules and at the same time make the butter into 

 solid masses, the better is the texture. The granular texture of 

 butter is seen when a mass of butter is broken into parts trans- 

 versely, giving somewhat the fractured appearance seen in broken 

 cast iron and free from a greasy appearance. Another method of 

 testing the texture is to pass a knife blade or a butter trier through 

 the butter; when it is withdrawn, no particles of butter stick to it. 

 The texture of butter is injured by allowing the butter granules 

 in the churn to become too large, and by working at too high a tem- 

 perature or too much. The granular texture of butter is entirely 

 and permanently destroyed by warming butter up near to the melt- 

 ing point. 



3. Color. — The standard of color for butter is the color given when 

 the butter is made from the milk of a cow feeding upoo fresh pas- 

 ture grass — an even, bright, golden yellow. Just what substance 

 it is that gives butter its natural color, we do not know yet, but we 

 do know some of the conditions that influence its color, such as the 

 breed of cow, character of food and stage of lactation period. Butter 

 tends to become lighter in color toward the end of a cow's lactation' 

 period, and especially if the cow at that time is fed exclusively 

 upon dry foods. Oti fresh pasture, some cows produce butter some- 

 what too high in color for the critical consumer. Most butter in 

 commerce is artificially colored. There is quite a number of different 

 butter-color preparations in the market, some of which are aniline 

 compounds and are poisonous when used in considerable quantities. 

 If a butter-color is used, it is wise to use annatto or other prepara- 

 tions, which are known to be harmless. When butter is artifically 

 colored, the colored product should be uniform, of a bright, golden- 

 yellow color, free from any reddish tinge. Different shades of color 

 are called for by different markets. 



(4.) Salt. — The main point in connection with salt in butter as 

 affecting quality, is that the salt should be entirelv dissolved and 



