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THE RIPENING OF CREAM. 25 
of 12 hours, another in 24 hours, and others at intervals of 12 
hours for a period covering 84 hours. ‘Thus eight analyses 
were made of each sample of cream at intervals of 12 hours. 
It was thought that the study of the series of plates thus made 
would give a picture of the changes that take place in the 
cream during its ripening, and would show more satisfactorily 
than any isolated experiments the bacterial development in 
the cream ripening. The following table represents the re- 
sults of nine experiments of this sort performed with cream 
from four different dairies. It will be noticed that whereas 
there are some points of difference in the numbers, the general 
results of the analyses in all cases are practically identical, a 
fact of especial significance since they extended over five months 
(February to June) and were from four dairies. 
An interrogation point inserted in the table means that the 
number of bacteria in question was so small as to fall below 
one per cent. Sometimes they were wholly absent, and always 
too few to be included in the general averages. 
The organism indicated by an N. in the heading of the third 
column was a very common, non-liquefying bacterium which 
produced an alkaline reaction. As shown by the table it was 
always present in the unripened cream, but disappeared almost 
completely in a few hours. 
The cream in the last three experiments developed a typical 
June aroma and flavor. In experiment No. 7 it was partly 
ripe when received. In the others a great growth of liquefiers 
is seen in the early ripening. 
