152 Milk and Its Products. 
ready for packing. Butter that is to be packed 
and held for any considerable length of time should 
be worked drier than when it is intended for im- 
mediate consumption. Fresh butter is most highly 
esteemed in most markets when it contains about all 
the water that it will hold, but if such butter is 
held for any length of time the evaporation of water 
from the surface will lead to a deposition of salt, 
which detracts much from its appearance and _ sala- 
bleness. An ideal package for butter is one that is 
light, strong and tight. None of the packages 
in ordinary use are perfect in all of these respects. 
Wooden packages, though light and strong, always 
leak more or less and let in air. Tin packages 
are more or less objectionable beeause of the action 
of the salt upon the tin, and iron, and glass, and 
crockery packages, although tight and clean, are 
heavy and subject to breakage. Packages made of 
paper or wood pulp have been used to some extent, as 
have also packages of these materials covered with 
paraffine, but they do not make a very attractive 
package. All things considered, tight, smooth, well- 
made tubs of ash, spruce or oak make the most 
available package. All wooden packages possess the 
characteristic flavor of the wood, which may be im- 
parted to the butter to a greater or less extent if 
it is allowed to remain in them very long. In 
order to obviate this, the odor of the wood should be 
removed as much as possible before the butter is 
packed. The package should be thoroughly steamed, 
and then filled with hot water in which some salt 
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