230 



Water in Butter. 



the Prussian Ministry of Agriculture, into the percent- 

 age of water contained in butter. The material for this inquiry 

 was obtained partly from reports received from a number of 

 German agricultural experiment stations, dairy institutes, 

 and schools of the results of the analyses of samples of 

 butter examined in these institutions at the instance of the 

 Ministry, and partly from the published accounts of similar 

 investigations conducted in other countries. In this way 

 the author has brought together analytical data relating to 

 20,706 samples of butter, of which 4,134 were German, 9,946- 

 Danish, 4,427 Swedish, 613 American, 364 English, 301 

 French, 2O7 Canadian, 68 Dutch, 64 Australasian, 62 Italian, 

 38 Austrian, 14 Swiss. The average water content of the 

 whole of the samples was found to be 14*03 per cent. The 

 variation in the water percentage in the different descrip 

 tions of butter is given as follows : — 





Number 



Percentage of Water. 



Description. 



of 











Samples. 



Lowest. 



Highest. 



Average. 



Dairy and Creamery Butter : 











Unsalted - 



831 



6-8 



27-51 



14*10 



Salted - - - - 



17,332 



3-84 



22*12 



I3'55 



Farmhouse Butter : 











Unsalted - 



738 



3-68 



41 *6 



1479 



Salted ----- 



841 



432 



49'02 



1474 



Butter for Keeping 



ii3 



5*o6 



2I-30 



1073 



Hamburg Factory Butter (Pack- 











butter) ----- 



819 



16-0 



28-0 



23-0 



Whey Butter : 











Unsalted - 



30 



10*09 



20 -68 



15-58 



Salted 



2 



14*05 



1473 



I4-39 





20,706 



3-68 



49 *02 



14-03 



As the result of his inquiiy Herr Martiny is of opinion that 

 butter, whether salted or unsalted, which contains more than 

 20 per cent, of water has either been carelesslv prepared or 

 intentionally impoverished or adulterated, and he suggests 

 that only butter containing under 16 per cent, of water 

 should be classed as table butter, and that butter with from 

 16 to 20 per cent, should be described as cooking or 

 confectionery butter. 



