JUDGING AND GRADING BUTTER. 291 
undesirable, strong flavor. Rancid flavor is the most common 
defect developing in butter on standing. Other flavors develop- 
ing in butter are “‘ turpentine,” “fishy,” ‘‘ unclean,” ‘“‘ feverish,” 
and “‘stale”’ flavors. In criticizing butter it is better to mark 
at once the specific fault, rather than state that the butter 
is rancid. Cheesy flavor is another characteristic which is very 
common in butter. This cheesy condition develops chiefly 
in butter containing little or no salt. It is claimed to be due 
to the decomposition of the proteid matter in the butter. 
Weedy flavors are quite common in butter. They are due 
mostly to the condition of milk previous to the manufacture 
of the butter. The remedy is to take the cows away from the 
pasture in which weeds of different kinds are growing, such as 
garlic, wild onions, ete. Acid flavor is another common defect 
found in butter. It is usually due to improper ripening of 
cream. The term sour is used in its literal] meaning in describing 
butter which in reality is sour, though not very sour to the 
taste; by the sense of smell, however, the sourness is readily 
perceived. The usual cause of this sourness is an improper 
removal of the buttermilk before the butter is packed. The 
term sour is occasionally used to designate butter which has 
been made from overripened cream. feverish flavor is a 
comparatively new term. Its significance seems to be of 
importance. This flavor is very sickening. It is believed to 
be due to the cow’s system being in an unhealthy condition. 
This flavor is imparted to the butter when it is produced from 
milk drawn from cows during sexual excitement. Diarrhoea 
of the cows is claimed to produce the same effect. Stable 
flavors are due to the improper and unclean conditions of the 
barn. They are most common during the winter, when cows 
are exposed to stable conditions. 
Color.—The color should be bright and even. When a plug 
of butter is drawn with a trier and is held up to the light, it 
should not be cloudy and dense, but should be almost transparent 
and bright. The chief fault found with the color of butter 
is unevenness. It may be streaky, mottled, or it may be too 
