206 BACTERIA IN BUTTER AND OLEOMARGARINE 
butter. The butter-maker can depend more certainly upon pro- 
ducing butter of a high grade, month after month, than he can 
without starters. There is a general belief also among those who 
have tested the butter in countries where starters are widely used, 
that there is an improvement in the average quality of the butter, 
as well as in its uniformity. (3) It has become pretty definitely 
agreed that the flavor of butter is improved by the use of such cul- 
tures. It is somewhat difficult to obtain definite proof of this, 
owing to the uncertainty of scores in butter tests. But the fact 
that all good dairies now use them is sufficient testimony to their 
value in improving the general quality of the butter. (4) They 
are the best means of remedying butter ‘‘faults.”” Every creamery 
has experiences of deterioration in the flavor of the butter with- 
out any visible cause. Such troubles are known to be due com- 
monly to the growth of unusual and undesirable bacteria in the 
cream. When they are discovered, the sterilizing of the dairy 
utensils and the use of a large quantity of a vigorous starter will 
generally remedy the trouble at once. Moreover, the constant 
use of a starter goes a long way toward preventing these ‘‘faults.”’ 
It is doubtful whether the use of starters produces butter of a 
character superior to the best butter made without them. Indeed, 
some think that it is not quite equal to the best butter made with- 
out starters. But the uniformly high grade of culture butter is 
admitted, and the greater satisfaction in being able to control the 
process has caused the wide adoption of starters among butter- 
makers. 
BACTERIA IN BUTTER 
Although bacteria continue to grow during the ripening period, 
their growth is practically stopped by churning and butter-making. 
Many of them are removed with the butter-milk; others are washed 
away during the washing and working of the butter. Large 
numbers are still left in the butter. Ordinarily these bacteria do 
not grow in the butter, though, Hf it is not salted, some of them may 
