248 BUTTER-MAKING. 
moved by excessive washing; while if the butter has a fine, rich 
flavor, it should be retained, and not extracted by washing 
the butter more than is needed. No definite temperature can 
be given, as the temperature of wash-water must vary accord- 
ing to the hardness of the butter when churned. 
If the temperature of the wash-water is too high, and the 
churning in the wash-water is continued a very long time, much 
water will be incorporated in the butter. If the butter is quite 
firm in the first place, and the temperature of the wash-water 
is not above 60° F., there is not much danger of getting too 
much water in the butter. Rapid changes in the degree of 
hardness of the butter in the presence of water are conducive 
to a high moisture-content. Very soft butter chilled in very 
cold water, and hard butter softened in very warm wash-water 
are two conditions which should be avoided. 
Kind of Wash-water to Use.—In the washing of butter, 
it is very essential that water used should be the best obtain- 
able. The creamery water-supply is evidently much better 
now than it was years ago. Pond-wells and shallow wells are 
gradually passing out of existence, but there are yet many 
shallow wells from which water is drawn for creamery purposes. 
Water from wells may appear to be pure, and yet contain 
germs which are deleterious to dairy products, and especially 
to the keeping quality of butter. That water of average purity 
contains such germs has been demonstrated in this country, 
as well as in foreign countries. Shallow well-water contains 
on an average about 15,000 germs per cubic centimeter, but 
Miquel has found that a rapid power of multiplication charac- 
terizes the bacteria in pure spring-water, while in impure water 
the multiplication is slower. Water containing only this many 
germs is, as a rule, considered very pure. Most creameries, 
however, pump their water into a tank overhead in the creamery, ° 
where it is contaminated with bacteria and impurities of different 
kinds. 
Shallow wells are usually surrounded with conditions which 
do not guarantee a creamery pure water during the different 
