186 THE BOOK OF BUTTER 



When prints are used, the jars should be treated by 

 scalding as in the above case. Next, a brine should be 

 made sufficiently strong to float an egg. This will re- 

 quire about one-fourth as much salt as water. In some 

 cases it is wise to boil the water to kill the micro-or- 

 ganisms in it, before the salt is added. Then a white 

 cord should be tied around each print, for the wrapper is 

 likely to float away if not tied to it. The prints are then 

 packed in the jar and a follower, such as a stone plate 

 or a wooden circle, placed on the butter. Occasionally 

 concrete followers are employed. If wood is used for 

 this purpose, care must be observed in choosing a wood 

 that will not impart an undesirable flavor to the butter. 

 The next step is to place a stone or a brick on the follower 

 to keep the butter submerged in the brine. These fol- 

 lowers and weights must be carefully cleaned and scalded. 

 Finally the brine should be poured over the butter. It 

 may be necessary from time to time to add brine to keep 

 the butter covered with the salt solution. 



The print is more convenient to take from the jar 

 than solid packed butter. Fifty one-pound prints can be 

 packed in a ten-gallon jar. Less print butter can be 

 packed in smaller jars, to the gallon capacity. This should 

 be kept in a cool place. When covered carefully with 

 brine or salt, butter may be held in the cold room where 

 vegetables and fruit are kept. 



138. Effect of storage on price. — The effect of storing 

 butter on the price is difficult to estimate. Holmes 

 asserts that 70 per cent is put in storage during June, 

 July and August when the price is the lowest. Wilson ^ 

 states that about 25 per cent of the butter of the United 



' Wilson, James, Economic Results of Cold Storage, Year 

 Book of Dept. of Agri., pp. 27-32. 1911. 



