MILK 247 



has a tendency to take up water and increase the bulk of butter 

 made. On the other hand, if the water is allowed to drain thoroughly 

 from the butter as it is being worked, the tendency is to have drier, 

 firmer-bodied butter. The water content will vary from 6 or 8 per 

 cent up to as high as 14 or 15 per cent, depending upon the method 

 the operator uses in working and on the temperature of the butter 

 when it is churned and worked. If butter is churned so warm that 

 it comes very soft, the granules contain larger quantities of water, 

 and in this soft condition it can not be worked as much as a firmer 

 butter. The presence of this moisture, together with the smaller 

 amount of working, results in retaining the moisture in large drops, 

 and the butter will have a wet or sloppy appearance. Firm butter 

 worked in the presence of water will take up the water in minute 

 drops, giving the butter a drier appearance. 



These steps in working butter, like other operations, demand the 

 exercise of judgment in the person who is doing the work, and one 

 must experiment with conditions which surround him and find just 

 what method is best to pursue. Butter will stand considerable work- 

 ing if rollers are used that do not slide over the surface, making it 

 smeary. 



Care of Utensils. The worker, paddles, and prints that come in 

 contact with the butter need special preparation before the work is 

 begun. They should first be thoroughly scalded, and the scalding 

 should continue long enough to make the surface of the wood hot, 

 after which it should immediately be rinsed with cold water. This 

 operation opens up the pores of the wood and then causes them to 

 contract and form a smooth surface to which the butter will not 

 stick. It also thoroughly wets the surface, which probably has a 

 tendency to prevent the butter sticking. 



Packing Butter. The size and style of package to be used in 

 packing butter will depend entirely on the market conditions where 

 the butter is sold. While great stress has been laid on the quality of 

 butter made, it must also be borne in mind that the method by which 

 it is packed and the neatness with which it appears on the market 

 have practically as much to do with its sale as has its quality. In fact 

 many buyers will select a neat package of butter in preference to one 

 that is put up in a slovenly manner, even though the quality may not 

 be as good. It is undoubtedly true that the average man or woman 

 will judge an article of food as much by its appearance as by its gen- 

 eral qualities. An unattractive article does not appeal to the sense 

 of taste. It ought not to be necessary to say that a package of any 

 kind must be neat and clean in appearance, but a large portion of the 

 farm butter that comes into market shows that a great many makers 

 do not realize the importance of this part of their work. Many lots 

 of otherwise good butter are sold every day at a discount because of 

 the slovenly methods of packing. The demands of the market on 

 which the butter is sold should bo carefully studied, and the package 

 made of a size and form that will meet those demands. 



Butter in Tubs. If the butter is to be put up in tubs, the packing 

 should be so done that the butter will be solid throughout its entire 



