JUDGING AND GRADING BUTTER. 291 



undesirable, strong flavor. Rancid flavor is the most common 

 defect developing in butter on standing. Other flavors develop- 

 ing in butter are "turpentine/' "fishy," "unclean," "feverish," 

 and "stale" flavors. In criticizing butter it is better to mark 

 at once the specific fault, rather than state that the butter 

 is rancid. Cheesy flavor is another characteristic which is very 

 common in butter. This cheesy condition develops chiefly 

 in butter containing little or no salt. It is claimed to be due 

 to the decomposition of the proteid matter in the butter. 

 Weedy flavors are quite common in butter. They are due 

 mostly to the condition of milk previous to the manufacture 

 of the butter. The remedy is to take the cows away from the 

 pasture in which weeds of different kinds are growing, such as 

 garlic, wild onions, etc. Acid flavor is another common defect 

 found in butter. It is usually due to improper ripening of 

 cream . The term sour is used in its literal meaning in describing 

 butter which in reality is sour, though not very sour to the 

 taste; by the sense of smell, however, the sourness is readily 

 perceived. The usual cause of this sourness is an improper 

 removal of the buttermilk before the butter is packed. The 

 term sour is occasionally used to designate butter which has 

 been made from overripened cream. Feverish flavor is a 

 comparatively new term. Its significance seems to be of 

 importance. This flavor is very sickening. It is believed to 

 be due to the cow's system being in an unhealthy condition. 

 This flavor is imparted to the butter when it is produced from 

 milk drawn from cows during sexual excitement. Diarrhoea 

 of the cows is claimed to produce the same effect. Stable 

 flavors are due to the improper and unclean conditions of the 

 barn. They are most common during the winter, when cows 

 are exposed to stable conditions. 



Color. The color should be bright and even. When a plug 

 of butter is drawn with a trier and is held up to the light, it 

 should not be cloudy and dense, but should be almost transparent 

 and bright. The chief fault found with the color of butter 

 is unevenness. It may be streaky, mottled, or it may be too 



