ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. l2 \ 



I spent eight days last winter at the National Convention at St. Paul, 

 examining butter with judges. I must say I never saw a greater variation 

 in quality than was displayed at that meeting. If prices, were paid for 

 this butter according to quality, there would certainly be a variation of 

 from five to six cents per pound. 



What is the meaning of this wide range in quality? It cannot be the 

 feed, as most all cows in the western states have very much the same 

 kind of food. The difference cannot be due to the period of lactation, as 

 most all our creamerymen have many fresh cows. If the trouble is not due 

 to the cow, nor the food consumed by the cow, we, must look elsewhere 

 for it and try to find a solution for ihe same. It is true that some foods 

 have a decided effect on the flavor, such as wild onions, cabbage and tur- 

 nips. These foods seem lo be largely charged with volatile acids and 

 when they are fed, pasteurization of the cream will largely remove the 

 obnoxious flavors. 



We have two periods in the year when the makers have trouble in 

 producing fine flavored butter. In the winter months the buyers com- 

 plain of winter flavor, and during the dry period in the summer they 

 complain of summer conditions. 



Now I believe it is possible to make fine butter during either period, 

 or to make good butter the year arcund. 



In the month of June, when nature has covered the earth with loveli- 

 ness, the right kind of fermentation seems to be everywhere. Most any- 

 one can make fine flavored butter at this time; but when the kind of 

 bacteria that we have to deal with changes to the undesirable kind, it 

 will then require skill. 



At our school, our bacteriologist made a number of tests to determine 

 the kind of bacteria that milk contains during the different months of the 

 year. In March, when it is quite difficult to make fine butter, one hundred 

 samples from different patrons' milk were taken. Only 12% per cent 

 showed pure acid flavor; 48 per cent impure acid flavor, and 39% percent 

 *aoid decomposition of the curd. Samples taken April 8th. showed 50 per 



