OFFICIAL IXSPECTIONS 5 1 79 



ing therefore thirty ounces for the thirty cartons we find tliat 

 this lot would weight twenty-eight pounds and two ounces net. 

 In the second case the whole lot consisted of thirty prints. 

 These weighed thirty-one and one-half pounds gross. Allowing 

 thirty ounces again for the weight of the cartons the net weight 

 of butter would be twenty-nine and five-eighths pounds for 

 thirty prints. 



But little comment is necessary. The figures in the table for 

 the most part explain themselves. No butter was considered 

 short weight unless the shortage was more than a quarter 

 ounce. In all instances where samples were obtained and cases 

 commenced analyses were made to show the content of water, 

 milk fat, casein, and salt, and no cases have been commenced 

 where it was found that the milk fat of the butter was in such 

 large proportion that the shortage could be accounted for by 

 a drying out and loss of water only. To explain this point more 

 fully it should be noted that butter should contain 82.5 per 

 cent, of milk fat. That is, 82.5 per cent, of the pound should 

 be milk fat, and 82.5 per cent, of sixteen ounces is thirteen and 

 two-tenths ounces. If therefore the milk fat content of the 

 butter was high enough so that there were actually thirteen and 

 two-tenths ounces present the butter would pass as a lawful 

 butter even though the weight of the print fell below sixteen 

 ounces. Such cases are, however, quite rare, and in almost 

 every case investigated the shortage was found to be due to a 

 lack of milk fat itself, and not because of a drying out and loss 

 of water. One or two instances of unusual over-salting have 

 been discovered so that the butter might with propriety have 

 been called adulterated with salt. Average butter contains 

 from three to five per cent, .of salt. One or two cases were 

 discovered where ten per cent, or over was present. 



It is such an easy matter to ascertain whether or not butter 

 is full weight that there does not seem to be much excuse for 

 either the manufacturer or dealer for selling short weight but- 

 ter. The following recommendations to the manufacturer, 

 jobber, retailer, and consumer were printed in a leaflet and dis- 

 tributed to the public in March. These recommendations are 

 important and should be carefully studied. 



Manufacturer. The manufacturer of butter whether cream- 

 eryman or dairyman should know absolutely that he is putting 



