BUTTER. ^^^ 



potent element of decomposition and ^°"ld oon po.l 

 Ihe butter. Buttermilk is a thick viscous fluid contam- 

 Ja lar.e quantity of lactic acid, and we have seen 

 hoi thisltcid not only rapidly changes into produc 

 injurious to butter, but it contains caserne .hichs 

 another element of destructive change in the b tte 

 This will be more fully treated of further on but is 

 m ntioned here to impress upon the butter-maker he 

 very great importance of getting rid of every part ck 

 If th! buttermilk. The granular form of the but er 

 very much facilitates this separation of the buttermilk, 

 and if the churning is stopped, as it shoiild be when «ie 

 butter is no larger than grains of wheat or buckwheat 

 the buttermilk is drawn off and cold water is poured 

 into the churn. The churn is moved back and forth a 

 few times, and the milky water is drawn ofi ; more water 

 is then used, and this is repeated until it is no onger 

 colored by the buttermilk, and the butter is entirely free 

 from it. There cannot be too much care given to this 

 part of the work. This done, the butter is remove! to 

 the butter-worker for salting and working. 



Butter is a compound substance consisting of tatty 

 acids, combined with a base known as "oil sugar or 

 glycerine, and forming neutral bodies known as marga- 

 rine and oleine; together with certain acids, called 

 butyric, caprio and caproie. It is a question, however, 

 whether these acids really form a part of the butter orig- 

 inally, or are not produced in it by decomposition of its 

 fatty elements, aided by the too common impurities 

 which exist in it. . , 



When butter, as it is taken from the churn, is melted 

 in water of a temperature of something less than 180 

 de-rees, and is then washed repeatedly with warm water, 

 oif is obtained which is nearly colorless, and when 

 ' filtered is clear and transparent. When cooled this oil 

 hardens into a hard whitish fat. By putting this fat into 



