43 



simply due to certain microbes, and at one time the hope was held 

 forth that the dairymen could be supplied a "pure culture" which 

 would provide the desired flavor. 



In this we have been disappointed up to date, and it proved 

 true that the question was not quite so simple, and that flavor de- 

 pends on more than one breed of microbes. This is, in my 

 opinion, a good thing for the dairymen, because if the develop- 

 ment of flavor could be made such simple and exact science the 

 creameries might as well leave butter-making in the hands of the 

 packers. 



To me as a layman the theories of the chemists and bac- 

 teriologists seem to supplement each other and confirm my prac- 

 tical experience in buttermaking. It matters not to me whether 

 the flavor is the result of the action of certain microbes or that of 

 their chemical products on certain parts of the butterfat, but prac- 

 tical experience tells us that the chemists must be right in so far 

 that the desired flavor is developed in the manufacture. Pure but- 

 ter oil has little or no flavor, sweet cream butter but a trifle more 

 and the more we ripen the cream (up to a certain point) the more 

 we increase this flavor. On the other hand we also know that 

 feed and external conditions have some influence on the flavor and 

 that June and July butter is ahead of winter butter. 



Analyses have shown (Fleischmann quoting Bussaingault) that 

 summer butter contains 40 per cent, hard fats and 60 per cent, 

 soft, while winter butter contains 65 as against 35 ; hence, the 

 latter is much firmer and stands up better. 



Other chemists have also shown that, for instance, feeding 

 an excess of cotton seed meal will increase the percentage of hard 

 fats (Palmitin and Stearin) and linseed meal will decrease them. 

 Hence the now well-known variation in churning temperatures 

 and firmness of the butter. 



Danish experiments have shown that leaving cows out in the 

 fields in stormy and rainy fall weather will have the result that, 

 even if they are fed exactly the same as those comfortably stabled, 

 the percentage of volatile fatty acids is reduced to such an ex- 

 tent that English chemists suspected the butter to be adulterated 

 and practical butter experts scored it low in flavor even if the 

 cream had been ripened to the same degree in both cases. (Hence, 

 the general complaint in fall of "wintry" flavor on our markets). 



It seems to me that the theories of the chemists agree per- 

 fectly with the experience of the practical buttermakers. 



