CHAPTER XXX 

 CARE AND RIPENING OF CREAM ON THE FARM 



The price of butter depends more largely upon its flavor 

 than upon all other qualities put together. The flavor of butter 

 is due almost wholly to the kind and amount of bacterial growth 

 which takes place in the cream before the butter is made, often 

 before the cream ever reaches the place of manufacture. 



On March 1st, 1916, the prices of creamery butter on the 

 JNTew York market were as follows : Special high score, 37 to 37!/2 

 cents; extras, 92 per cent score, 36 to 36^ cents; firsts, 90 to 92 

 per cent score, 35 to 36 cents; seconds, 87 to 90 per cent score, 

 33!/2 cents; ladles, 23 cents. The difference in price between 

 the 33i/2-cent and the 37 1 /o-cent butter was due entirely to 

 flavor or tasty quality. The price is seldom influenced mate- 

 rially by the amount of salt or moisture or fat in the butter and 

 usually not materially influenced by workmanship. The differ- 

 ence, 4 cents, is nearly 12 per cent of the price quoted for seconds 

 or, in other words, a more pleasing flavor would have enabled the 

 manufacturers of that butter to have sold it for 12 per cent 

 more than was obtained. When butter is more plentiful, as in 

 spring and early summer, the difference in price is even greater. 

 In the case of the 23-cent butter, there are defects other than 

 mere flavor to cause the discouragingly low price, though the fat 

 in it cost the farmer the same to produce as that which sold for 

 almost twice as much. 



The value of cleanliness is nowhere more manifest than in 

 the dairy. The price depends on flavor, flavor depends on bac- 

 teria, and bacteria depend on the dirtiness of the cow's teats, the 

 milker's hands, pail, strainer cloths, and separator. If all these 

 be clean the cream is well started on the road toward a choice 

 butter and high price. 



A cool temperature following quickly after separating is ex- 

 ceedingly important to a cream and butter of good keeping 

 quality. The rate of growth of bacteria at the temperature of 50 

 340 



