730 Agricultural Joitryial of Victoria. 



in the quality and reputation of their butter, should strongly urge 

 their Boards of Directors when making the next contract for the 

 carriage ot" butter to London, to insist on a guarantee of a temperature 

 below 30 degrees Fahr. during the voyage and the carrying of seh"- 

 registering thermometers, such instruments to be placed iu the 

 chambers in approved positions and sealed prior to the sailing of the 

 steamers from Melbourne. 



Faults in Manufacture- 



Certain factory managers are getting very careless ; perhaps 

 the fact that there was no London market the year before 

 this had something to do with it. One would naturally think 

 that when a man brought his output up to a certain standard 

 he could keep it there. Some managers will notice from my 

 reports during the season more than due reference to " mottle," 

 "excess of moisture," and faults of this nature. Why there should be 

 any mottled butter nowadays is difficult to understand, and possibly it 

 is due to the employment of new buttermakers, but that ought not to 

 be, for a manager should insist on a method being religiously practised 

 that would obviate the complaint altogether. In every case that came 

 under my notice it is due to not bringing the salt into contact with all 

 the butter when working. 



Would-be authorities are afraid of working their butter too much 

 when it is soft. Such buttermen should try this little experiment on 

 their own account some day, the sooner the better: — Work soft butter 

 a little as usual, next a duplicate lot to an extent that will thoroughly 

 mix in the salt — never mind the texture — then put the two into the 

 cool room for the second working. When placing on the worker the 

 second time, or when finally packed, closely observe which lot has the 

 better texture. The latter will be found to be the better of the two. 

 In certain factories' reports the remark "Excessive Moisture" appears 

 sometimes. This alwa3's means, unless a report on analysis accom- 

 panies the usual advice, that there is too much appearing en the trier. 

 When the butter is drawn the water runs off You know it does not 

 always follow that the percentage is unusually high when the moisture 

 shows in this way, but whether the water contents are much above 

 normal or not, it is always a bad sign and discounts the selling value 

 of the butter. It is the indication that the buyer, wholesale or retail, 

 goes by when purchasing. 



I am sorry to note that the average moisture contained in butter is 

 on the increase. The average of all samples analysed last season comes 

 out exactly at 13 per cent. Out of 70 samples analysed. 



