262 MANUAL OF MILK PRODUCTS 



into the printer that there may be no air spaces left to detract 

 from its appearance or to cause under- weight. A finished print 

 should have straight, clean-cut surfaces and without finger or 

 ladle prints; it should then be wrapped in a good quality of 

 parchment paper to prevent contamination and the loss of 

 moisture by evaporation. Usually the wrapped prints are 

 then placed in pasteboard cartons and these packed in boxes. 



In case the butter is packed in tubs, the best quality of ash 

 tubs should be used. These are made in special sizes, the one 

 most commonly used holding from sixty to sixty-three pounds 

 of butter. They should be clean and dry and free from mold. 

 Many creameries are now coating the inside of the tubs with 

 hot paraffin in order to prevent the growth of mold and the 

 loss of moisture from the butter. Several paraffin devices 

 are now in use which spray the inside of the tub evenly with 

 hot paraffin which soaks into the pores of the wood, making it 

 impervious to moisture and forming surfaces on which molds do 

 not grow. 



The butter tub should be lined with a good quality of parch- 

 ment paper, using a circle in the bottom, and also on the sur- 

 face of the finished package. When the tub is filled, it should 

 present a smooth, even surface with an inch of the side liner 

 pressed smoothly against the surface of the butter. A parch- 

 ment circle should then be placed over the top and pressed 

 down firmly against the butter. The appearance of the finished 

 package, and especially the top of the butter, is an important 

 factor in its market value. 



BUTTER GRADES AND SCORES 



The butter markets recognize definite grades of butter and 

 standards of scoring. The classification and grades established 

 by the New York Mercantile Exchange will illustrate the 

 methods in use. 



