8 BULLETIN 456, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



It is customary among the trade in weighing butter to require 

 " up-weights," that is, the beam of the scale must balance against the 

 upper rest, and when it does not the next lower pound is taken, frac- 

 tional weights usually not being counted. 



Since the net weight amendment to the pure food law became ef- 

 fective, distributors state that it is often unnecessary to weigh the 

 butter, as the creamery's weights are accepted. It is very important, 

 therefore, that creameries should weigh their butter correctly in 

 order to obtain full weights. An allowance of one-half to three- 

 fourths pound usually is made by creameries for shrinkage. Since the 



Fig. 5. — In some markets a great deal of butter is retailed from tubs. 



value of butter is higher than it was years ago when the present mar- 

 ket methods of weighing were first adopted, it is even more impor- 

 tant now that accurate methods of weighing be employed. 



CONSUMERS' PACKAGES. 



The trend at present in the market distribution of creamery butter 

 is toward individual consumers' packages. The standard package 

 most commonly used on eastern markets is the 1 -pound print which 

 measures 2-|- by 2^ by 4f inches. In New York City, Boston, Buffalo, 

 Cleveland, Charleston, and New Orleans the practice of retailing 

 butter from tubs is still quite prevalent. (See fig. 5.) A large por- 

 tion of the butter retailed is printed, wrapped, and placed in cartons 



