184 BUTTER-MAKING. 



better keeping qualities. At the present time nearly all of the 

 central plants are pasteurizing their cream to a greater or less 

 extent. 



Advantages of Pasteurization. The advantages of pasteur- 

 ization are many, but the chief ones are as follows: 



(1) It enables the butter-maker to produce a uniform 

 quality of butter. If most of the germs are destroyed by 

 pasteurization, and a pure culture added to the cream, the 

 ferments added will be in full control. If nothing but a desir- 

 able kind of germ is added, it follows that the product will be 

 uniform in quality In this way practically the same results 

 can be obtained from day to day. 



(2) It eliminates many of the undesirable taints in the milk. 

 Especially is this effect noticeable during the fall, when cows 

 are liable to eat weeds that taint the milk. Xo matter how 

 well milk has been taken care of, it usually contains taints 

 which, when pasteurized will be partially eliminated from the 

 milk. 



(3) It destroys most of the germs. This is important 

 for two reasons. It destroys most of the germs which effect 

 the quality of the butter, and it also destroys the pathogenic 

 germs, thus preventing the spread of diseases, such as tuber- 

 culosis, typhoid fever, etc. 



(4) The butter-maker can control the fermentation in cream 

 much more easily when pasteurization is employed. It has 

 been demonstrated that the quality of the butter depends 

 in large measure upon the kind of fermentation. When the 

 fermentation in the cream is thoroughly controlled, a better 

 quality of butter can be produced. When the milk is in first- 

 class condition, fully as good butter can be produced without 

 the use of pasteurization, but it does not keep so well. Milk 

 may appear to be in good condition, and yet at the same time 

 contain germs which are detrimental to the quality of the 

 butter. 



It is at the present time a matter of dispute whether milk 

 and cream in a really sour and poor condition is benefited 



