1 Fez., 1902.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 95 
butter test of last year. It states as follows :—“ Let us consider one example 
where the period of ripening occupied fourteen hours, and the time in churning 
twenty-three minutes. These few hours given to ripening, and a cool cellar 
selected for the keeping of the cream, one would naturally expect that the 
condition of the cream when put into the churn would be of alow acidity. This 
1s confirmed by the ‘practical’ examination. From the knowledge that when 
sweet cream is churned fast a loss of butter fat follows, in the instance given 
we may attribute the loss to this cause, as the percentage of fat found in the 
butter-milk reached the high figure of 1:4.” Now, assuming that this cream 
had been mixed with an acid quantity, what would have happened? Churning 
would have taken less than twenty-three minutes, and notwithstanding a low 
temperature the cream would not give up its fat in a way profitable to the 
supplier. In order to obtain equal results from two given quantities of cream, 
the following conditions must practically correspond at the time of churning :— 
(a) Thickness of cream. (f) Quantity churned. 
(b) Percentage of fat. (g) Speed of churn. 
(c) Ripeness or degree of acidity. (4) Washing of butter. 
(d) Temperature at churning. (¢) Working of butter. 
(¢) Kind of churn. 
(a) If the consistency differs there will be a variation in the fat percentage 
in the butter-milk, as thick craem under ordinary circumstances churns 
quickly, and the difference in time will influence the yield of butter obtained. 
(6) When one of two samples of equal weight or capacity contain more fat 
than the other, and both contain the same percentage of acid, and are treated 
in exactly the same manner, there will certainly be more butter got from one 
lot than the other. (c and a2) Ripeness and temperature have already been 
explained. (ef) Difference in make of churn and care in handling alter the 
butter ratio of cream. One churn might be too large or too small, and the 
concussion which accounts for the breaking of the cream into butter grains will 
accordingly vary, also the quantity churned, and the regularity in speed of 
churn will influence the freedom of the butter-milk from high fat percentages. 
(h and 7) Over-washed or under-washed butter will raise or lower the weight of 
the finished product. A poorly-washed and half-worked quantity will increase 
the weight, while that which is freed from butter-milk, thoroughly drained in 
the churn and the water well worked out, will cause a lighter weight in the yield 
of butter. In continuation of the rules already given in the first portion of 
the article, the following will complete the number :-— 
17. Cream must be equally ripened. 
18. », must not be too thick or thin. 
19. .», must not be overheated. 
20. » must not be sent in unfilled cans. 
21. ,, must not be injured with preservatives. 
22. 5 must be churned in a suitable churn. 
23. ,, must be churned at a suitable temperature. i 
28. Butter must be carefully washed in the churn and also worked 
carefully. 
In looking over these last rules I might draw attention to the dangers which 
accompany the transit of consignments of cream in partly-filled cans. When 
this is done, and the cream has to suffer shaking during long journeys, 
churning of the fat is sure to follow. This change is more marked in high 
temperatures, and which are so common in the heat of summer; and in the cold 
weather, I might remark that difficulty is experienced in getting the fat 
globules to unite, the cream showing a “sleepy” condition. This may also 
take place in summer when preservatives haye been indiscriminately used, as 
the natural ripeness in cream is arrested, and the escape of fat in some cases 
must be unusually high, while the butter suffers in flavour. Unfortunately the 
practice of using preservatives is becoming very common, and there is much 
need for warning before serious damage is done to the butter industry. In 
