456 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



trated and explained apparatus designed in this office for use 

 with the Babcock test, to determine accurately the butter fat 

 content of butter from which the overrun can be computed and 

 the water content may be estimated with considerable accuracy. 

 It is in use in only a few creameries of the State but is quite 

 satisfactory and is the only apparatus in use in our creameries 

 for the purpose. A chemical analysis in the hands of a com- 

 petent chemist is the only way to get an absolutely accurate 

 estimate of the constituents of a sample of butter, but of course 

 the expense prohibits the smaller creameries from making use 

 of such a system. But approximate results are sufficient in 

 every day work and extremely valuable to the creamery opera- 

 tor. 



The question of overrun is of the greatest importance from 

 the standpoint of values and should receive more attention at 

 the hands of the buttermakers and creamery operators. 



PREMIUMS ON BUTTER. 



During the last ten years there has grown up the practice 

 of paying a creamery more than the published and established 

 official price in all of the markets. A half a cent premium 

 used to be the cause of great pride on the part of the butter- 

 makers whose butter sold for that premium. Now a full 

 cent premium is almost universal, a cent and a half is com- 

 mon, and a cent and three-quarters or even two cents above 

 the market is not by any means unknown. Seconds and firsts 

 sell at the published price of extras and above, and the real 

 extras nearly or quite two cents above the market. Nearly 

 every creamery visited by the assistant dairy commissioners 

 receives a premium, and only those making the very poorest 

 quality confess to receiving less than extra price. So much is 

 this that it is entirely safe to conclude that there is something 

 vitally wrong at the creamery that does not receive a good 

 premium over the market. 



On the other hand this practice of premiums makes it pos- 

 sible for swindlers to induce shipments of butter under prom- 



