18 



2. One-quarter of one per cent, of powdered borax or of the commer- 

 cial preservatives appears to be sufficient to hold the butter flavor under 

 ordinary conditions, and is not nearly so liable to give the "preserva- 

 tive taste" to the butter. Butter which is likely to be held for over three 

 months or which may be exposed to high temperatures may have one- 

 half of one per cent, added. 



3. The results indicated belter keeping- quality in the sweet cream 

 butter than in those lots made from ripened cream. 



4. There was not much difference in the keeping quality of the but- 

 ters treated with the different preservatives, boracic acid giving the poor- 

 est average and commercial preservative No. 6 rather the nighest. 



5. All the boxes and prints of butter made during the summer to 

 which the borax, boracic acid, or commercial preservatives had been 

 added developed mould very badly, while the samples which were salted 

 were free from mould. 



6. Under the severe test of December 6th, none of the preserva- 

 tives may be considered as having given satisfactory results, although 

 the flavor was very much better in those lots as compared with the lots 

 treated with salt alone. 



7. At the preent time we are not prepared to recommend the use of 

 milk or cream preservatives, 



8. For the home trade, with proper means for pasteurizing the 

 cream and suitable cold-storage facilities, we do not consider that pre- 

 servatives, other than salt, are needed to keep butter for a reasonable 

 length of time. 



9. For the export trade which allows one-half of one per cent, boracic 

 acid in butter it would seem as if this amount might be used to advantage 

 in some cases, but with suitable cold-storage and especially where pas- 

 teurization is followed, less than this amount would preserve the butter 

 and be less liable to injure the consumer. 



10. Salicylic acid, sodium fluoride, and formalin may not be recom- 

 mended as butter preservatives. The first one is more or less harmful, 

 and gives an objectionable flavor to butter, while the latter two are con- 

 sidered quite harmful to the human system. 



