312 MOUEUN BUTTKR MAKING. 



in brine for twelve hours before using as mould 

 spores may adhere to them and grow after the but- 

 ter is packed. 



3. Paraffine properly applied is one of the great- 

 est safeguards against mould and is very easily 

 done with modern paraffining apparatus. Consider- 

 ing the beneiits derived from its use as a means of 

 preventing mould, the cost of it per package is a 

 mere trifle. It excludes the air from the butter by 

 sealing all crevices and in this way increases the 

 keeping quality of the butter. It is claimed that 

 losses in moisture are less in paraffined than in un- 

 paraffined packages. If the soaking and handling 

 of the packages were always performed in the best 

 possible manner there would be less need of paraffin- 

 ing, but since this is not realized in the average 

 creamery it is recommended that paraffining be gen- 

 erally employed as a safeguard against mould. 



151. Methods of applying paraffine. The quickest 

 as well as the most reliable and economical method 

 of applying paraffine is with apparatus especially 

 devised for this purpose. The cost of paraffining 

 need not be more than one cent per 60 pound pack- 

 age of butter, whether it is a tub or a box. One 

 ounce of paraffine will thinly coat one 60 pound tub 

 and two ounces will give it a heavy coat. The cost 

 would depend somewhat upon the smoothness of the 

 package and the manner of applying the paraffine. 

 One of the main factors influencing the cost of par- 

 affining is the temperature of the paraffine when ap- 

 plied. The hotter it is the less it will require. Sixty 

 pound butter tubs which have a standard tare of 



