72 VERMONT DAIRYMEN'S REPORT. 



ter by putting on a part, then revolving the churn half way 

 over, thus making the butter fall with the salted side down, 

 then sifting on the rest of the salt. Then revolve the churn a 

 few times, after which the butter can be taken out and worked 

 on a butter worker. This is the way most commonly done, but 

 it has its difficulties. The trouble is to have just the right 

 amount of salt in the butter when it is finished, so as to have 

 the product perfectly uniform as to saltness. The exact weight 

 of the butter in the churn is not known, though this can be 

 closely estimated, but it is impossible to tell how much water 

 the butter contains, while in its granular state. This water must 

 be all salted and a portion of it will run off in the form of brine 

 when the butter is worked. The finished butter should contain 

 about three-fifths of an ounce of salt to the pound. To insure 

 that amount, at least an ounce and a half of salt must be put 

 in for each pound of butter in the churn, and yet, do the best 

 we can, it will be found that two successive churnings are sel- 

 dom salted just alike. I have found that a better way to insure 

 uniform salting is to take the butter out of the churn, drain and 

 press out a part of the water on the worker, then weigh the 

 butter, and salt one ounce to the pound and work enough to get 

 the salt evenly incorporated. Some more water or brine will 

 run off in the working and leave the butter salted about right. 

 In this way it will be found that one churning will be salted 

 very nearly like every other churning. 



There are several different kinds of butter-workers used by 

 dairymen but in my opinion none are better for home use than 

 the common lever pattern. 



SHALL BUTTER BE WORKED ONCE OR TWICE ? 



The object of working butter is to get the salt evenly distri- 

 buted and to expel a portion of the brine. When it is worked 

 but once the butter-maker thinks hehas worked the butter enough 

 and packs it immediately. There is, at that time, no way to tell 

 whether the salt has been evenly distributed or not. A few 

 hours afterwards he draws out some of the butter with a trier, or 

 cuts it with a ladle, and finds it mottled, which will seriously 

 affect the selling price. He knows the cause is unequal salting ; 

 that the portions which have salt have changed to a deeper yel- 

 low, and the unsalted portions have remained of a lighter color. 

 With the next churning he is determined to remedy this and be 

 sure to work enough. The chances are that this time it is worked 

 too much so that the grain is injured and the butter has a greasy 

 appearance. But after much practice and the exercise of good 

 judgment and care, these errors can be avoided to a great extent 

 and a fairly uniform and even product produced. 



