464 BUTTER SCORING 



The necessary equipment for performing the examination 

 and scoring of butter in an approved manner, consists of a 

 nickel-, tin- or silver-plated butter trier, a knife or spatula and 

 clean cheese cloth or clean soft paper, such as tissue paper. 



Before commencing the work of examining the butter, the 

 scorer should thoroughly wash his hands with soap and water. 

 The trier should be wiped dry and clean. When the plug on 

 the trier is examined for aroma, it should be passed under the 

 nose without touching the nose. For tasting the butter a small 

 piece of butter is removed from the plug with the knife or 

 spatula. The uniformity or color can be seen without mutila- 

 tion of the plug. Examination for leakiness and body and 

 texture is best made by pressing the plug with clean thumb. 



When the examination is completed, the plug is neatly re- 

 placed in the bore of the package by carefully returning the 

 trier in the bore and withdrawing the empty trier. The surface 

 of the package at the place of the returned plug is then evened 

 up and smoothed over, not with the fingers, but with the trier, 

 and the circle or wrapper is again repjaced neatly. The trier 

 and spatula are then wiped clean, not with the bare hands, but 

 with the cheese cloth or paper, before the next package is 

 examined. 



Accuracy of Butter Scoring. It is said that expert butter 

 judges are born and not made. This is true to a limited ex- 

 tent. Expertness requires, above all things, a keen sense of 

 taste and smell. Individuals deprived of an accurate sense of 

 taste and smell lack the fundamental attributes that make for 

 expertness in butter scoring. However, most persons possess 

 these senses to a sufficient degree to be able to distinguish 

 good butter from bad butter, and with a little practice 

 they soon acquire the power to differentiate between the more 

 pronounced flavors and odors. Aside from the natural and 

 acquired ability to detect flavor and aroma, the butter judge 

 needs knowledge, experience and judgment in determining and 

 deciding on the correct valuation in terms of figure scores, of 

 the flavors found in the butter, and these attributes are largely 

 a matter of practice. Finally the butter judge must be a man 

 of character, not given to superficial work and "bluff verdicts," 



