290 BOARD OF AGRICULTUEE. [Pub. Doc. 



extended so that there are large factories in some six or eight 

 different places in the west. We have seen it stated that the 

 total output of these places is fully four hundred tubs a day. 

 The exact method of making these goods is not known. In 

 some cases different firms have varying methods peculiar to 

 themselves, but in a general way the process is something 

 like this : the l>utter is bought either from farmers or from 

 dealers, melted into oil, carefully strained, then aerated by 

 pumping currents of air through it, and finally chilled by 

 dropping onto ice or a cold surface. The granules are then 

 churned with milk, and the product is salted, worked and 

 packed. Fair flavor and character are the rule, but, having 

 been once melted, the butter is peculiarly sensitive, and 

 quickly loses its freshness ; some lots become tallowy. We 

 have a suspicion that some dishonest manufacturers may mix 

 in more or less tallow and lard in the process of manufactur- 

 ing this "sterilized" butter. We found one sample in the 

 hands of a reputable retail grocer which was unquestionably 

 oleomargarine. We were able to trace the shipment with 

 such directness through a leading Boston wholesaler to a 

 large Chicago manufacturer that we felt no end of justice 

 would be promoted by a prosecution in this State. The 

 facts, however, were placed in the hands of the Illinois 

 authorities for further investigation. 



Milk. 

 More attention has been given to milk than in any previous 

 year. Two hundred and thirteen samples have been taken, 

 though only one case was put into court. In this the milk 

 was actually adulterated, but it was lost by a ruling on a law 

 point by an associate justice of the court sitting during the 

 vacation season. A transportation corporation had a cafe at 

 one of its stations, and served adulterated milk. Samples 

 taken tested 10.42 and 8.14 per cent of milk solids. The 

 manager of the caf6 was complained of, and his attorney 

 raised the point that, under the statute holding responsible 

 either the principal or his agent or servant, we could hold 

 the corporation itself or the waiter who served the adulter- 

 ated milk ; ])ut the attorney argued that the manager of 

 whom we had complained was neither the servant who sold 



