CHAPTER XV. 
STARTERS. 
Definition._—By the term starter, in cream-ripening, we 
understand a medium containing a preponderance of desirable 
germs present in a virulent condition. 
History.—The use of starters in the dairy industry dates 
back a great many years. The fact that starters helped in the 
manufacture of dairy products was recognized years ago by 
practical men even before scientists recommended the use of 
pure cultures. In European dairy countries the use of the 
buttermilk borrowed from a neighboring factory to add to the 
cream in order to overcome abnormal conditions, was a common 
occurrence. In Holland, sour whey borrowed from some other 
factory was used to overcome gassy fermentation in cheese- 
making. While the reasons for this were not well understood, 
the underlying principle was involved, viz., that of overcoming 
the undesirable fermentation by adding ferments of an an- 
tagonistic kind. 
The introduction of pure cultures, or commercial starters, 
for cream-ripening dates back to 1890, by Professor Storch. 
He recommended their use in creameries in Denmark. Starters 
were used in that country for a time successfully, and since 
then starters have been introduced and extensively used in 
this country, as well as in practically all European countries. 
Classification of Starters.—Generally speaking, the different 
kinds of starters are included under the names (1) Natural, 
and (2) Commercial. The latter is prepared from a pure 
culture of bacteria obtained from the laboratory. The former, 
or natural, include a great many kinds of dairy products which 
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