rmiiinfacture, to secure a desirable white color and a fine grauulation 

 of tlie salt produced. 



The natural consequence of that course of oi)eration is an alkaline 

 reaction of the salt, a most objectionable quality of a dairy salt — for 

 it hastens on the decomposition of the butter. 



The peculiar nature of the products of the dairy, butter and cheese, 

 as well as the unusual pecuniary risks involved*^ in their successful 

 manufacture, renders it necessary that only first class articles of salt 

 should be applied for dairy purposes. The fitness of any of the 

 various brands of salt in our markets for dairy use is not restricted to 

 those obtained from any particular natural source or locality, but 

 depends entirely upon a suitable good chemical composition "and a 

 suitable mechanical condition. 



A good dairy salt ought to be of a neutral reaction and of a pure 

 saline taste ; free from offensive odor and without any stain of color ; 

 of a i)roperly reduced size to favor a speedy solution, and what is 

 scarcely of less imi)ortance free from colored si)eeks. As the appli- 

 cation of dairy salt inform -of saturated sohitions enables with but 

 little troul)le the removal of insoluble foreign admixtures, this mode 

 of using salt in the dairy industries, whenever admissable, deserves 

 commendation. 



To produce an article of the above description requires an extra 

 exertion on the part of the manufacturer, and necessitates thus addi- 

 tional exi)enses as compared with the average brands of "Common 

 Fine " and the ordinary " coarse or solar salts ", neither of which, as 

 a general rule answers to the previous description. 



A dairy salt originally good may become objectionable in conse- 

 quence of a subsequent careless storing amidst strong smelling arti- 

 cles of merchandise, etc., or in barns. 



Judging the above samples of "Dairy Salt" by the customary 

 commercial standard of composition previously explained it will be 

 noticed thatsample I is preferable to sample il, although its total 

 amount of foreign saline admixtnire is larger than in samples IT and 

 III. The last named sample would rank next if it did not contain 

 some salicylic acid. 



None. of the above described three samples can claim to rank with 

 the l)etter brands of " Dairy Salt" in our markets. 



The presence of an excejjtional amount of carbonate of lime in all 

 of them impairs greatly their fitness for dairy purposes. A good salt 

 may not improve materially an otherwise carelessly manufactured 

 butter or cheese, yet a lower grade of fine salt will iuvariablv destroy 

 the keeping quality of a good butter and cheese. 



The addition of salicylic acid as a preservative is strongly con- 

 demned by good authorities in sanitary matters. 

 455—457. VINEGARS. 



Sent on from Prescott, Mass. 



I. Made Oct. 5, 1885 from unripe P>aldwin apples. Shrinkage 

 li galls, on 10 or 12i per cent. 



2 



