190 AGRICULTURE. 



of makincr the best butter. The consumers of 

 butter prefer that it have the peculiar taste 

 which is characteristic of butter made from 

 soured or fermented cream. Butter churned 

 from sweet cream is insipid in flavor and is not 

 desired by many; furthermore, it does not keep 

 as well as that from soured cream. For these 

 reasons cream is allowed to sour before being 

 churned into butter. This condition is usually 

 brought about within twenty-four hours or less 

 by leaving the cream moderately warm, usually 

 from 60° to 70°. The most approved method 

 is to add what is called a starter, to cause the 

 desired kind of souring to begin. This may be 

 likened to the use of yeast in bread-making. 

 When the proper condition of sourness is 

 reached the cream is ready for churning. This 

 stage is detected by taste and appearance, or in 

 factory work by an accurate test. The condition 

 may be described as a mild, sour taste, and a 

 somewhat thickened or granular appearance of 

 the cream. 



C— BUTTER. 



I. Coloring Butter. 



The natural color produced, when cows are 

 on fresh grass, is the standard butter color. 

 This shade should be maintained throughout 

 the year, and this requires the use of artificial 

 coloring part of the time. Coloring made for 

 this purpose is a common article in the markets. 



