THE DAIRY. 549 



" interval of standing, with a subsequent working, is allowed in 

 '' case the butter is intended for long keeping. Finally, when put 

 ••'down, additional salt (one-half per cent.) is mixed at the time 

 " of packing into the tubs or crocks. 



" The action of the salt is osmotic. It attracts water from the 

 " buttermilk that it comes in contact with, and also takes up the 

 " milk-sugar. It thus effects a partial separation of the con- 

 '' stituents of the buttermilk. At the same time it penetrates the 

 *' latter and converts it into a strong brine, which renders decom- 

 " position and rancidity difficult or impossible. Sugar has the same 

 " effect as salt, but is more costly, and no better in any respect. 



" Independently of its effect as a condiment, salt has two dis- 

 *' tinct offices to serve in butter-making, viz.: ist, to remove 

 " buttermilk as far as possible from the pores of the butter ; and 

 " 2d, to render innocuous what cannot be thus extracted. 



" It hardly need be stated that the salt must be as pure as pos- 

 '' sible. It must be perfectly white, must dissolve completely in 

 " water to a clear liquid, untroubled by any turbidity, without 

 " froth or sediment, must be absolutely odorless, of a pure salt 

 " taste, without bitterness, and in a moderately dry room must 

 '' remain free from perceptible moisture." 



Concerning the very important question of the kind of salt to 

 be used, the following quotation, taken from the same article, will 

 he found useful : — 



" As regards the purity of different kinds of salt, some of those 

 " in use in this country deserve notice here. The Turk's Island 

 " salt has a repute not justified by any facts. As commonly sold 

 " in the coarse state, it is extremely dirty and impure. Much of 

 '' the fine table salt commonly sold in New England, in Connecti- 

 " cut, at least, is also impure, and not fit for dairy use. The purest 

 " salt made in this or any country that the writer is acquaint- 

 *' ed with, came some years ago from Syracuse, New York, 

 " where the ingenious processes of Dr. Goessman were then 

 " employed. If, as we suppose, the same processes are in use 

 " now, the ' Onondaga Factory Filled Salt ' must take a rank 

 " second to none as regards purity and freedom from deleterious 



