MANUAL OF GENEEAL AGRICULTURE. Ill 



allowing it to remain there a few moments, shaking occa- 

 sionally, until the butter is melted. Cool until solid, shak- 

 ing often to insure an even distribution of the constit- 

 uents. 



Special scales for moisture testing are on the market, 

 but any sensitive scales will do. 



See that the scales are accurately balanced. The 

 aluminum cup is capable of taking up moisture from the 

 air and for this reason must be heated a moment or two 

 until perfectly dry and at once accurately weighed. When 

 the scales balance with the beaker on, write down the 

 weight of the beaker and then place a 10 gram weight on 

 the side opposite the beaker. 



Take the sample of butter, remove the cover, and 

 with a spoon place butter in the beaker until the scales 

 exactly balance, giving a ten gram sample. 



Heat the sample until all the moisture is evaporated. 

 A direct flame as that of an alcohol lamp is satisfactory, 

 but care must be taken not to burn the butter. By shaking 

 two or three times with a rotary motion, the burning of 

 the butter may be prevented. 



After sputtering has ceased, weigh. Heat a second 

 time and if the weights are the same upon reweighing, all 

 the moisture has been driven off. If the two weights are 

 not the same, heat the third time and weigh again and 

 continue to reheat and reweigh until a constant weight is 

 obtained. 



Record results and calculate the per cent of moisture 

 as follows : 



Weight of beaker 38.5 grams 



Weight of beaker and butter 48.5 grams 



Weight of beaker and butter after heating ...47. grams 



Weight of butter after heat 8.5 grams 



Loss 10 8.5 1.5 grams 



(1.5-f-10)xlOO=15% moisture in the sample. It is illegal 

 to sell butter containing more than 16% moisture. 



