Vermont Dairymen's Association. 109 



the fat from stripper cows' milk is harder, and he paid the penalty 

 of three extra hours work. 



I cannot cover the whole law covering the subject of but- 

 termaking but my purpose is to suggest that the buttermaker 

 pays for ignorance or carelessness (lawlessnesb), in terms of his 

 own life blood. 



Good flavor in butter is largely due to decomposition pro- 

 ducts resulting from the fermentation induced by the lactic acid 

 bacteria in the milk serum. This has been so well emphasized of 

 late years that I will simply call attention to some phases of the 

 subject. In the first place it is necessary to be sure that the 

 weed seeds are destroyed in our field ; that in other words it is 

 necessary to pasteurize and then to sow good seed, that is to 

 say, pure cultures. Then the buttermaker must carry the fer- 

 mentation just far enough to get the highest flavor. He must 

 be well up on the law in this respect, or the sinner will have to 

 pay the penalty. After the buttermilk has been drawn, the excess 

 of casein must be washed out. Dr. VanSlyke has shown that 

 mottled butter is due to the action of salt on this casein. The 

 water should be pure water, clean and free from bacteria. Water 

 from shallow wells is likely to have bacteria from the surface 

 of the ground, which will spoil all the previous good work of 

 the buttermaker. Water from deep wells is usually sterile, but 

 not always so, especially in lime stone rock. I have in mind a 

 case that occurred recently in Ohio. A fine building and equip- 

 ment had been provided. A well was driven down through clay 

 and limestone rock to a depth of 133 feet. The butter appeared 

 nice at first, but after standing developed a rank flavor. Com- 

 mission men said that it was magnesia in the water. Chemical 

 analysis showed that water from a well that had previously been 

 used with excellent results had twice as much magnesia as this 

 well. Investigation determined the fact that the water was con- 

 taminated with bacteria, that it carried 35,000 bacteria per cubic 

 centimeter of water which when put into sterile milk produced 

 the same rank flavor that developed in the butter. Further in- 

 vestigation convinced us that the sewage from a town of 6,000 

 inhabitants ran into a river, that this river ran up against a ledge 

 of rock which dipped down under the town and then came to the 

 surface again on the other side. The sewage flowed by gravity 

 four or five miles under the town and was pumped up by the 

 creamery pump and spoiled the butter. They now heat the 

 water to 212° F. and cool it again before using it in washing the 

 butter, and they are having no more trouble. Moral : — Don't 

 waste effort in making good butter and then wash it with bad 

 water. The sinner will surely pay the price. 



