LLINOIS DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



241 



Commercial Starters. — Several firms are putting on the mar- 

 ket pure cultures of bacteria, known as commercial starters, 

 which have been found to give very satisfactory results in the 

 creamery where large quantities of butter are made and even a 

 slightly increased price for the butter will more than pay for the 

 time and labor required for preparing starters. Under ordinary 

 conditions about 10 to 12 per cent of starter is sufficient, i. e., 

 one quart of starter to two and a half gallons of cream. If the 

 cream gets ripe too quickly use less starter, if too slowly a little 

 more next time. Rules and suggestions for ripening cream are 

 but little helps. Conditions vary so from day to day and month 

 to month that only the person who uses judgment and close ob- 

 servation can be sure of the best quality of butter from day to 

 day. If is uniformity of quality and product that holds the 

 trade and commands the higher price. 



The Churn. — The kind of churn which has no inside fix- 

 tures, but dashes the cream from one side or end to the other by 

 the motion of the churn has proved most satisfactory. 



The paddles, dashers, etc., of whatever pattern, are apt to 

 hurt more or less the texture of the butter ; also cause a loss of 

 butter in the cream, which adheres to them and to the cor- 

 ners of the churn, especially when the cream is a little thick. 



When the churning is done in such a short time it is claimed 

 by admirers of many so called improved churns, it is usually at a 

 sacrifice of butter fat left in the butter milk, even though it may 

 not be apparent to the eye. 



Wooden churns are to be preferred to metal ; because of 

 their getting loose in dry weather if not used frequently or prop- 

 erly taken care of, a steel barrel churn, tinned inside and painted 

 outside, has been put on the market. The objections to it are that 

 the cream warms up more easily when the room is warm and more 

 butter will adhere to it than to the wood. Care must be exer- 

 cised to wipe it dry or it will rust. On the other hand the cream 

 might be kept in it till enough is secured for a churning, making 

 one less vessel to care for. 



