ADVANTAGES OF PURE CULTURE STAKIICRS. 205 



The advantage of the use of cultures is along three dis- 

 tinct lines. 



1. Pure cultures enable the butter-maker to handle his 

 cream more uniformly. He can regulate the ripening in such 

 a way that the cream will always be of the proper grade of 

 ripeness at a certain time of day; for experience soon tells 

 him how much culture must be added to the cream in order 

 to make it ready for churning at the particular time of day 

 which is most convenient for his business. The advantage 

 of this uniformity in the conduct of a creamery is sufficient 

 to warrant the use of these starters in many places where, 

 otherwise, they would not be adopted. 



2. The use of pure cultures has produced a greater uni- 

 formity in the product. Under the ordinary system of 

 butter-making the butter is apt to show fluctuations in 

 quality, sometimes being very good and sometimes falling off 

 in grade for days or weeks. The butter-maker, by pasteuriz- 

 ing cream and subsequently inoculating it, can with certainty 

 depend upon obtaining a product of a uniform grade. The 

 general practice of butter-making in Europe in the last twelve 

 years has warranted the conclusion that the use of pure cul- 

 tures with pasteurization, puts into the hand of the butter- 

 maker a method of producing an almost constant uniformity 

 in his product. There will be slight variations at different 

 seasons of the year due to variations in the character of the 

 cream, but the irregularities which are common in ordinary 

 dairy practice tend to disappear with the use of pure cultures. 

 This is perhaps the most distinct advantage of the pure-cul- 

 ture method, and is the one which has gradually brought 

 about the introduction of this method of butter-making 

 throughout northern Europe. 



3. It is pretty definitely agreed that, on the average, the 

 flavor of the butter is somewhat improved by such cultures. 

 It is difficult to obtain any proof of this, owing to the uncer- 

 tainty in the grading of flavors. The general belief is, how- 



