PACKING BUTTER 377 



each wrapped separately in parchment paper, has found much 

 favor as a means to accommodate the consumer and increase 

 sales. 



In accordance with the Federal Pure Food laws all individual 

 or consumer's packages must be marked in plain and legible 

 letters with the net weight of the contents. Packages weighing 

 one pound or over must have the net weight indicated in terms 

 of pounds, packages weighing less than one pound must have 

 their net weight indicated in terms of ounces. 



A law passed by the New York State Legislature in 1912 

 provides for the following tolerances in the weight of print 

 butter : 



"The maximum variation allowed on a pound print to be 

 three-eighths of an ounce on an individual print, provided that 

 the average error of twelve prints, taken at random, shall not 

 be over one-fourth of an ounce per pound. The maximum varia- 

 tion allowed on two-pound prints to be one-half ounce, provided 

 that the shortage on twelve prints, taken at random, be not 

 more than three-eighths of an ounce for two pounds. 



"Prints that are not of one pound or two pounds must be 

 marked in letters at least three-eighths of an inch in height, 

 giving the correct weight in terms of ounces, or pounds and 

 ounces." 



Methods of Printing. The printing of butter is done in 

 various ways. Some creameries transfer their butter from the 

 churn to a table from which it is printed while soft, by the use 

 of one-pound hand molds, or by the use of a mold sunk into the 

 table and worked with a hand lever. In some European* cream- 

 eries the soft butter, coming from the churn or worker, is placed 

 on an automatic, revolving printing table. This table is equip- 

 ped with several molds. The butter is piled into these molds, 

 which pass under a mechanical plunger that tamps it into the 

 mold, then under a stationary knife that removes the surplus 

 butter, after which the finished print is released. Most of the 

 American creameries pack the butter from the churn into spe- 

 cially made crates, boxes or 1 cubes, set it in the cooler over night 

 to permit the butter to harden and then cut it into prints by 

 means of wire cutters. To this type of printers belong the 



