26 DAIRYING 



crystals sometimes accumulate in such quantities as to form a 

 white incrustation nearly covering the entire exposed surface of 

 the butter. At other times only occasional patches of white 

 crystals are formed. These white spots are seen most frequent- 

 ly in winter and on one pound prints or bricks of butter that have 

 stood in a refrigerator. They often appear within 12 hours after 

 butter is made and increase in size so long as the butter remains 

 under conditions favorable for their formation. Such spots are 

 not an indication of defective salt, bad butter, or poor work- 

 manship ; they simply show that the butter has been kept in a 

 cold place which at the same time has been so dry that the water 

 of the brine evaporated, leaving the salt on the surface of the 

 butter. This appearance of salt on the surface of butter may be 

 prevented by moistening the air of the room or the box in which 

 the butter is held. 



429. Salt will absorb odors, and before adding any salt to 

 butter, its odor should be noticed ; it should also be kept in a 

 clean, dry place where there are no bad odors, but plenty of 

 fresh, dry air. 



Working Butter. 



430. The three operations of washing, salting and working 

 butter are so intimately connected that directions for carrying 

 out each one of these cannot be given without some repetition. 

 In discussing this part of the butter making process an attempt 

 has been made to cover the ground under the three heads, rather 

 than to give all the information possible under each one of them ; 

 it will be necessary therefore to read the preceding pages on 

 washing and salting butter in order to get all the instructions 

 that may have been mentioned in regard to any one of these 

 processes. 



431. The appropriate working of butter will be influenced 

 to some extent by the washing and salting it has previously re- 

 ceived. It would be an easy matter to describe a number of 

 possible variations in the amount and kind of working butter 

 should have, when washed and salted in different ways, but this 



